Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky
by ThreeMagpies
Summary: A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Charloe: The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore…will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe)
1. Chapter 1

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page)

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Thanks so much for having a look at this and I hope that you like it… I don't own any part of Revolution – I continue to love it though and I find Charlie and Bass especially fascinating…The title of this story comes from 'Isle au Haut lullaby' by Gordon Bok, Cheers, Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… chapter 1.**

She'd been a fool and now she was going to die…

Charlie knew plenty about tracking, hell, hadn't she been able to track that bastard Monroe all the way from New Vegas to his little hideaway island paradise off the coast of New England? But she only knew the basics about sailing. She knew enough to maintain the proper heading and to keep the small vessel rigged properly and making its steady way towards Isle au Haut - but she realised now that she didn't know nearly enough about the sea and how easily it could turn…

Things had started out ok, it had been a beautiful, clear dawn, the bay waters clear and inviting and she'd been enjoying herself – especially with the prospect of finally catching up with (and disposing of) Sebastian Monroe, ex President of the ex Monroe Republic; the man – no, the dick – who gave the orders that resulted in the deaths of both her father and her brother and who had held her mother prisoner for years. What made his betrayal worse was that he had known her family, had almost been one of them, he and her uncle Miles had even babysat she and Danny when they were little… But then he'd done things so awful that he'd made Miles – who was his best friend for God's sake – feel that he had to kill him to stop him… Well, now it was up to her… her Grandpa and Miles were focused on trying to keep her Mom sane… nothing else seemed to matter to them, which was partly why she'd left if she was honest… Aaron was off talking about fireflies that no one else could see and Charlie? Well she had nothing better to do… so she was it, it was her job to get Monroe…and after months spent tracking him, she was so close…

She'd been only about half a mile offshore from the island though when the wind suddenly picked up, the sky almost magically fast turning a frightening, angry, black and purple with clouds roiling, the wind shrieking and moaning and the sea rising up in huge, terrifying waves that threw her small, rusty boat around like it weighed nothing… She was having a harder and harder time making any attempt at steering, her fingers numb… and the old boat was taking on more and more water. She was wet through, freezing cold, nauseous and having trouble catching her breath through the drenching salty spray… But every now and then when she was at the top of one of the huge swells she caught sight of the bumpy little strip of land that was her destination off to starboard and somehow, amazingly, the wind seemed to be blowing her closer and closer to it… The waves were still getting bigger though and it was already taking all of her strength just to hang on to the wheel… Then she saw a wave coming that dwarfed all the others… the white foam at the top seemed to stretch up to meet the sky and there just was no way her little boat was going to survive that…

Then the boat rose up and up and she felt herself falling and falling… and a tremendous sound just filled everything and water was the whole world around her - and then there was blackness…

….

Sebastian Monroe was doing his usual morning sweep of the island and the surrounding waters of Penobscot Bay through the telescope mounted on the lookout room on the top floor of his adopted home... He spotted the small craft and wondered vaguely who was fool enough to set sail when it was obvious to anyone with any sense that there was a nasty squall brewing – all the usual fishing and patrol vessels were secured at their moorings or out in safer waters… There wasn't much he could do about it though… whoever it was, they were on their own, the coastguard didn't live here anymore… And if the fool was headed here, well, he wished them luck, if they made it through the storm he could take care of himself and he'd be waiting for them…

The local fishermen knew someone lived on the island but they generally respected his wish to be alone – and while they might wonder why a man might choose to live without human company in the abandoned and decrepit luxury homes of Isle a haut, they hadn't asked and he didn't tell. He kept a low profile these days, his beard, moustache and tough, strong, dangerously capable appearance usually disguise enough to hide who he was and keep people away - unless he wanted them close… Everyone had their stories and secrets and he was far enough here from anyone who'd known him in his previous existence that recognition was a relatively minor risk in his catalogue… He was polite but aloof when he took his little boat over to the mainland on the rare occasions when he needed to trade for something he couldn't make or find… or if he felt like a woman's company – and thank the powers that be he never had trouble finding that, or if he felt like a change from his own, home made whisky – or even if he felt like taking part in one of the fight nights that served as an outlet for those who couldn't find peace and exhaustion enough in the endless hard work of making a living…

He was as self-sufficient as possible, growing or gathering most of his own food – he'd found several good existing gardens on the island, and used what he could find in the abandoned homes for clothes and furniture… and there was a lot to choose from – Isle au Haut had been a rich community but not a particularly resilient one and after the blackout the few people living on the island had either fled to the mainland or had stayed and died - of starvation, accident or suicide, leaving their possessions behind and the island basking in its fading luxury, ghosts and memories, its isolation keeping it safe to a large degree from looting. Bass had buried the bones he'd found in a graveyard behind the tiny church, marking the graves with family names if he could find evidence of them as a sort of thank you… It felt important to him to do that, it was something he could do for them when he hadn't been able to fix anything for anyone else with his doomed Republic.

He'd made his home – although he had bolt-holes in several other parts of the island - in a house at the top of one of the highest hills on the island where he had an almost 360 degree view of most of the island and the waters around it, helped by an antique telescope left by the house's former owner. A few abandoned pets, cats mostly – had survived and prospered and he'd found a few little feral tribes of pigs and goats, descendants of escapees from someone's hobby farm… He'd made friends with some of the cats, had re-domesticated, or at least come to an arrangement with, several of the goats – and he'd recently found an abandoned litter of piglets that he was raising up for breeding and food and had plans on building a smokehouse… It felt good to put some of his survival knowledge to good use, and there was a lot of satisfaction in putting his wits and his hands to work…

There was a tunnel leading from the cellar of the house to a hidden exit lower on the island and he used that to come and go and to hide his main living space from any casual visitors... He'd collected any weapons he found – and there'd been a few, refurbishing them and making bullets and bladed weapons himself on a home made forge using recycled metals… He hid them in several caches, including one in the tunnel, in case of attack from any of the bands of ex Militia, war tribes and others wandering unchecked around the country; shiploads of them marauding up and down the coast or overland like pirates with no one to stop them… Or in the unlikely event of a bounty hunter tracking him here… He'd been carefully setting false trails though as he travelled and had also set a couple of rumours going on the way here that he was dead… hanged by a mob of angry ex Militia…

Then there were these new guys, the Patriots, who said they wanted to protect people and bring back the United States - but they gave him, and most of the local folk judging by the talk he heard, the heebie-jeebies, what with the suspicious timing of their arrival, just after the bombs - and their pretty talk of helping out, when it was plain to him and to plenty of others that they were just another group of marauders leaving just as many bodies behind them…. There were stories too of things that they had done to young recruits that made him sick to his stomach… Bass was also pretty fucking sure that Randall Flynn was one of them – and that Flynn had sent the nukes, after Rachael and Aaron helpfully turned the power on in the Tower, although Bass took at least some of that blame on himself, after all he had taken the asshole there…delivered him to the door and walked him right in… he might as well have been the one to push that button… He was better off out of it and away, the world was better off without Sebastian Monroe complicating things…better to let him fade away…

He'd arrived on Isle au Haut desperate and nearly broken, his hopes of bringing some order to their little part of the country dashed first by his brother's fucking betrayal and then further by the bombs and the collapse of the Republic. He'd come to this isolated place seeking a refuge from a world become even more desperate and insane – and one that made it increasingly plain that it didn't want him… His brief, violent sojourn in New Vegas, where he'd had several lucky escapes from the ever swelling numbers of Bounty hunters and the damn Patriots, proving once and for all that for him there was no place there or possibly anywhere on the mainland... He'd once even thought he'd caught a glimpse of a face he knew, although how she'd found him he didn't know… but seeing, or maybe seeing her had reminded him that he hadn't always been alone, that he had family, and that Miles was his brother still, somewhere… But the gorgeous blue eyes in that beautiful face had been full of hate and anger so he'd left that behind too…

And here, on this beautiful, forgotten island, he had begun to find healing of a sort – he was able to start seeing things in some sort of perspective. His own sorry part in what had happened somehow becoming clearer and he realised now that maybe it hadn't been all his fault… that he had been as lost as everyone else in a world gone dark…and at least he'd tried to do something, he and Miles…and it had worked, for a while, before everything fell apart…

So all in all it was on the way to becoming a good life, away from the world… But it was pretty fucking lonely, he wasn't made to be alone and he was anything but a monk… His dreams were full of honey blond hair, blue eyes and soft, rounded flesh after that glimpse of her… There were no women around here like her, the genetics seemed to favour brunette, which was probably a good thing for his cover of being a solitary man… But he had caught himself more than a few times lately talking and singing aloud in an attempt to give the illusion of some company, although up to now he'd been able to resist the urge to talk to coconuts or put wigs on basketballs… He was pretty damn sure though that at least one of the cats had started talking back…and it was getting damn hard listening to the fun they seemed to have almost every night… Maybe it was time for another visit to the mainland...

Bass checked the location of the boat again and sure enough, there it was, caught in the squall and being thrown around like a cork… He even thought that he caught glimpses of a small figure fighting desperately to hold onto the wheel… He pitied the poor idiot of a sailor but there was nothing he could do to help, his own little craft wouldn't be any use at all in those seas… and as he saw the monster wave gather itself together into a wall of hard water he knew that there was no hope at all for the fragile little boat, labouring square in its path… Then the wave broke and thundered and crashed and motored its roaring way towards the shore and when he looked again the boat was gone…

…..

He raced down to the shore of course, running with a torch down through the musty old smugglers tunnel to its rocky end point about a quarter mile above the shore, then clambering along the wet and slippery goat steep path down to the sheltered, half moon curve of the sandy beach, set snug in between two rocky heads, just to make sure, although he didn't hold out much hope at finding anything – let alone anyone… The boat had been driven quite close to shore by the storm though and even if the crew didn't make it he might find something usable as salvage…

Bass couldn't see anything much at first, the rain was still heavy when he climbed over the last of the piled rocks to get to the fringes of the sand, and he had to be careful of the storm surge waves driven up by the squall - but then, like someone pulling back a curtain, the weather cleared as suddenly as it had turned dark earlier… the rain stopped, the waves settled and he was suddenly bathed in sunlight from an almost clear, gorgeously blue sky, a few scudding, coloured clouds disappearing over the horizon…

He walked down to the water's edge, his clothes steaming in the sun and drying salty on his skin…his feet bare in the damp and giving sand, the footsteps behind him deep and crisp at first then softening at the edges, filling with cloudy, sandy water… the air was clear and had the wonderful tang of the sea… Sea birds circled and swooped above his head, their haunting and raucous voices clamouring… landing briefly to search for edibles carried in to shore by the storm then taking off with their booty held in tight beaks, in a clatter of wings…

Then he saw something up ahead, further along the beach and just above the water line, a longish mound that looked like a lump of driftwood covered in seaweed but that he strongly suspected was something else… He sighed, it looked like the sea had brought him another body to bury in the little churchyard. He hurried over and when he got closer he knew he was right…The body was lying face down, head slightly turned to the side, long, dirty blond and sea weed tangled hair matted around the shoulders… It was obviously a young woman, the side of one of her breasts and a pale nipple clearly visible, exposed by her slid sideways water black tank top and he felt a pang of sadness for her family and the fact that they might never know what happened…

Most of her face was hidden under an out and up-flung arm, the rest by her hair, her other arm and shoulder sunk into the sand by the pull and push of the waves…

Bass knelt down by her side, gently reaching under the heavy, sodden hair so that he could check for a pulse… There was no sign that she was breathing but when he placed his fingers where her delicate jaw met the strong lines of her neck there was a small, thready thump… Cautiously hopeful, he hooked a finger round, cleared the cold mouth of debris while she was on her side, then turned her onto her back, quickly placing a hand over her eyes and nose, the other at her chin, starting mouth to mouth, concentrating on just getting her to breath, occasionally looking and checking the waves to make sure they didn't get swamped, but the sea was quiet now, wavelets innocently lapping at her feet…

He'd almost given up, her lips had been soft but cold and unresponsive under his for what seemed like hours… the skin around them icy against his cheek… but then there was a cough, a rough rattle in her chest and as he let her onto her side again, back towards the sand, a small flood of water and what was probably the remains of her breakfast came pouring out…he reached out a hand to hold her hair back and caught a glimpse of a neat nose and rounded cheek…

Then she collapsed back on the sand, limp and exhausted, eyes still closed, barely conscious and the skin he could see covered in bruises, cuts and scrapes… She was breathing though, alive against all the odds and, brushing back her hair, Bass was finally able to get a good look at her face… He sat back on his heels… he couldn't fucking believe it… how the fuck had she found him… He looked again, just to make sure it really was her… Of all the fucking beaches on all the fucking islands in the whole fucking world and she washed up on his. He looked down at Charlotte Matheson and knew that his life had just changed forever - again - and he knew, just knew, that God really did have it in for Sebastian Monroe.

…..

AN: Hi and thanks so much for reading… this prompt kept going round in my head, and then I was singing this song about Isle au Haut and one of the lines just seemed to fit…anyway, I'll try to update as soon as possible (I'm also working on an update for another story which will be up soon too I hope…) but I am really enjoying writing this…the sea, the possibility of Pirates, Bass and Charlie alone on a deserted island… anyway, hope to see you at the next chapter… cheers, Magpie


	2. Chapter 2

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page)

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Thanks so much for having a look at this and I hope that you like it… I don't own any part of Revolution – I continue to love it though and I find Charlie and Bass especially fascinating…The title of this story comes from 'Isle au Haut lullaby' by Gordon Bok. Cheers, Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… **

**Chapter 2, Albatross**

Bass carried a still unconscious Charlotte Matheson up and out of reach of the waves, put her down on the warm and quiet sands in the shelter of a couple of boulders and covered her with his jacket... She was pale and still cold, her breathing had stabilised but the possibility of pneumonia was a real one… He sat down on the sand and leaned back against one of the rocks… He remembered saying once that if he didn't have bad luck he'd have none at all, and as he looked over at his latest little piece of bad luck he thought that he'd never said a truer word…

He figured he had three choices and he didn't like any of them…

One, he could go back up to his house, pretend he never found her… she wouldn't survive the night and he could come back down tomorrow and there'd be just another body washed up by the sea to bury in the little churchyard…

Yeah, right…

Two, he could take her to the mainland and leave her at the only medical clinic he knew of hereabouts and pay them to look after her. The trouble with that was that she obviously knew where he was – or why else would she be here? Which meant he'd have to run again, because damn her blue eyes she was a Matheson through and through and she'd just come after him again, probably to get back at him for Ben and her brother – hell, and for what he did to her Mom – no matter that Miles had done it first… and then he'd have to let her kill him, or kill her himself… which took him back to option one… Fuck…

Because for some reason he didn't want to have to leave the island – yet - and he wasn't so far gone that he particularly wanted to die either. But he was so damned tired of running and he really thought he'd gotten away from this all this crap…Maybe he should just let her do what she had to do and be done with it, done with everything… maybe he did deserve it, maybe she was his punishment…

'You're a damn fool Monroe… ' And now she had him talking to himself… Shit…

Then there was option three… Look after her himself… And the downside to that one was that if he did his job properly she would eventually wake up feeling better and go back to doing whatever it was she'd come here to do and hey, Monroe, it's back to option two part two again…

Unless he could somehow talk her round, suggest a truce…? Show her that he really wasn't that man anymore… or maybe she'd be grateful because he'd saved her life and just go away and leave him in peace… and maybe one of his piglets would sprout wings and fly…

And maybe he wasn't dreaming of blazing blue eyes in that gorgeous face, framed in honey blond hair – or of her toned and curvy body… fuck... maybe he wasn't thinking that she'd have to know where Miles was…that maybe he could get his brother back…

One thing he knew for sure… she was trouble whatever fucking maybe he decided on and he would have been so much better off if he'd never seen her boat…

But then she'd probably be dead now…and he found that he couldn't bear to think of all that youth and beauty gone to the bottom of the sea… He looked at the young woman lying on the sand and felt her calling to something he'd thought long dead inside him… She was one hell of a woman, and a hell of a tracker, resourceful and determined… and it must have taken a wagon-load of guts to travel alone through some of the country she would have come through to find him… he couldn't just leave her to die, and he wouldn't give her to anyone else… She was Miles' niece, and he remembered her when she was a little golden haired tomboy of a kid, Christ she'd even sat on his knee… he sighed… and that made her family and him responsible for her – even if she didn't want him to be…

He gazed up at the clear blue of the sky for a long moment… Three it was then and damn the consequences, and he'd even give her one chance at him, she deserved that…

…

Charlie tried to open her eyes, but they wouldn't work… and they hurt, everything hurt… like she'd been run over by a wagon, make that several wagons… no a fucking wagon train… She remembered a boat and a storm and huge waves… Then nothing…but why was she still swaying and… was someone carrying her? She couldn't seem to care much though… so was she dead…? She mentally shrugged and felt her head drop back again against the - warmth of someone's chest…? Didn't matter… She went back to sleep…

….

Bass had set up a sick bed for her in the top room of his house, so he could watch the sea and keep an eye on her at the same time. There was always the chance that someone, or maybe more than one someone had followed her, in fact he was working on the theory that it was inevitable… She had to have asked questions about him on the way here and some of the bounty hunters might be smart enough to put it all together, hell most of them were ex militia and he and Miles might even have trained them, so they'd know a few of his tricks… And the damn Patriots – along with Texas, were offering a whole lot of diamonds for Sebastian Monroe, alive and kicking, wanting to feed him to the lions in their fucking bread and circus games…

She was still asleep, although her color had improved over the last few hours since he'd brought her up and her breathing and pulse were regular… It was a bit soon to be sure but he was pretty hopeful that she'd come through it with nothing much more serious than a few new scars...

She'd woken a couple of times while he was getting her out of her sodden clothes and boots… but only briefly and he didn't think she'd been able to focus well enough to recognize him – well he was pretty sure anyway. He had considered leaving her clothes on, because when she woke up it wouldn't help her peace of mind – or make her feel better about him - if she knew that he'd seen her naked… But in the end he had to get them off her - she needed to get properly warm – and he needed to clean and dress the cuts and bruises that pretty well covered her body. Her clothes were mostly salvageable – they just needed cleaning and a bit of mending, her boots and knife belt too…

Thankfully, once he was able to check properly, she had no bones broken with most of her injuries needing nothing more than a wash and some of the salve he had on hand for emergencies, the salt water in the bay had cleaned her up pretty well already… He'd had to put a couple of stitches in a cut on her arm that had started bleeding again once she warmed up, and he was glad she'd stayed out of it for that. Her hands were rubbed raw and banged up too and they'd be pretty sore when she woke up… He had been worried about the possibility of concussion but her eyes looked clear; the pupils even… All in all she was one lucky pain in his ass...

After he finished cleaning her up he dressed her in one of the many, never used, large, cotton t-shirts he'd found in the house; he thought that the late owner must have collected them – or had a whole lot of grandchildren who thought he loved t-shirts… This one was a bright apple green and said 'Captain' on the front and 'Merry Christmas' on the back in cheerful red and white letters…

Bass was a good field medic, and he'd been grateful for that on more than one occasion…but never more than now. The training helped him see her as a patient, not Charlotte, the woman whose blue eyed gaze and lovely body had been top billing in his fevered dreams for the last few months… The t-shirt helped too because she was so small and it was so big that she looked about ten years old in it…if you didn't know what was underneath of course… He smiled ruefully as he tucked a blanket over her and checked her pulse again… Shit… he'd be reading her a bedtime story next…

….

The hours until sunset were spent scanning the bay for strange boats and watching Charlotte as she slept, interspersed with trips down to the kitchen to get food together and to milk a couple of the goats - mixing some of the milk with leftovers for the piglets in their pens… The cats usually took care of themselves with rats, mice and rabbits plentiful on the island… He'd even spotted some of the deer that seemed to be flourishing everywhere now that cars and trucks and fences were a thing of the past… He suspected that there were a couple of large predators around too, he'd found a couple of torn up carcasses in the woods nearby – it could be just large feral cats though, he'd heard of them growing pretty big even before the blackout…

When he got back after one of his trips downstairs via the spiral staircase, a large bowl of stew and a mug of heated goats milk sweetened with honey he'd stolen from a hive at great risk to life and limb, the bees hadn't been too happy – balanced carefully on a tray, he found two of the friendlier half-grown kittens had found their way up too and were twined on the end of Charlotte's bed in a sinuous pile of black, white and ginger fur… The twin pairs of green eyes in the heart shaped faces turned towards him, blinking sleepily… 'Hey there little guys…' he said quietly, not wanting them jumping around… but they seemed happy where they were and settled back to sleep… He smiled, these two seemed to hang out together a lot and seemed to have adopted him – or his goat's milk anyway…he'd save them some…

He did another sweep of the bay while he ate his stew – the only boats out were ones he recognized as local and none of them were heading anywhere near the island, in fact it was getting dark now and they were all heading into harbor for the night. He didn't have any lights on up here – it'd be like starting up the lighthouse and visible for miles around, so he did a final check of the bay before the light went and settled in for the night in his leather recliner - found in another house, complete with footstool and very comfortable.

Charlotte was still sleeping, her breathing even and deep… He knew she'd wake up soon though and he needed to work out what he was going to say. He studied her face in the fading sunlight; relaxed in sleep there was very little resemblance to Rachael, except for the coloring, although to him Charlotte's eyes were a warm, passionate blue, not like Rachael's icy stare – and from what he remembered of Ben she wasn't a lot like him either… She reminded him a whole hell of a lot of Miles though, and come to think of it no wonder she'd tracked him across the map when she had Rachael's pig headed stubbornness – and smarts - as well as the Matheson absolute will to survive…

He sat back in his chair and put his feet up, drinking his milk… The cats were purring… the rumbling sound gently filling the room… The full moon was shining in through the picture windows that wrapped around the hexagonal room and he let himself relax a little, maybe no one had followed her…Yeah, right… and there go those flying pigs again… he couldn't be that lucky… But whoever it was probably wouldn't be able to get anyone to set sail at night, no matter how much they paid them… There was a lighthouse on the island for a very good reason, the rocks and sandbanks in the surrounding waters were treacherous and the locals knew to treat them very carefully… They'd sail at dawn, tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, but he knew they were coming...

Bass put his mug down carefully on the small table next to his chair – it was still half full of milk; Charlotte would probably be thirsty when she woke up but if everything all went to hell, then the cats would find it…

…..

He must have dropped off to sleep because a sound woke him, the crisp rustle of fabric as a body moved against it… he stayed absolutely still but was instantly alert – an ability honed to perfection over the years. Then he cracked an eyelid open a fraction and saw her, sitting up on the bed, outlined by the bright moonlight coming in from the other side of the room now, her hair in a wild tangle around her shoulders… He must have slept for hours damn it…

Charlie was looking around, frowning, her eyes puzzled… then the small ginger cat untangled itself from its companion, stood up, stretched its long, slim body out luxuriously, front then back, yawning, and stepped forward towards her, the small head and long tail imperiously high. She smiled unsteadily down at it, lifting a hand out for it to sniff…but the little creature turned in a quick and almost impossibly graceful arc, jumped off the bed, onto the floor and down the stairs, its black and white friend flowing off the bed and silently following…

Bass didn't know whether to say anything… fuck, he didn't know what he could – or should - say… he kept his eyes shut… you chicken heart Monroe…hoping that she'd go back to sleep, that he could put this off…

'Monroe...is that you…?' her voice was hoarse and she cleared her throat…

'Hello Charlotte…' he opened his eyes and sat up, swinging his feet off the ottoman, unable to hold back a yawn…ok here we go, Monroe…. 'How are you feeling?'

'Like I was rolled on by a cow…' she started to pull back the blankets, her legs swinging around…

'Take it easy…' he picked up the mug and held it out to her 'You nearly died… here, have a drink...'

She swayed, still sitting on the side of the bed, one hand holding her up, the other going to her stomach…'Ooh…'

He put the mug down again and reached for the bucket he'd put near the bed just in case… then leaned forward to hand it to her along with one of the small towels he'd also had on standby. Salt water was a bitch when you swallowed enough of it…she was lucky it had stayed down as long as it had…

Then she threw up…a lot…

He waited till it seemed like she'd finished then quietly reached for the bucket, setting it down near the end of the bed this time; he was pretty sure she'd need it again…

She wiped her mouth with the towel but hung on to that then sank back onto the bed, closing her eyes… 'This doesn't change anything, Monroe…' she said, pulling the blankets back up… then for a moment she opened her eyes and looked straight at him, and damn it she made every nerve in his body sing her name… 'I'm still going to kill you…' she winced and closed her eyes again…'as soon as I can stand up….'

He grinned and sat back… That had gone a hell of a lot better than he'd expected…

…

AN: This is a short chapter but it felt like a good place to pause… I'm going away for the weekend and wanted to get a bit further on in the story… and there is some lovely Charloe coming soon, I promise… and trouble too, but I am a happy endings sort of person, so... all the best and thanks so much again for reading, Magpie


	3. Chapter 3

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page)

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Thanks so much for reading (and reviewing) I really hope that you like this next bit..

Oh, I went to a music festival for the weekend! Fantastically wonderful…! so I started this chapter sitting in a YHA dorm with my laptop on my knees and music ringing in my ears… I'd also like to dedicate this chapter to KimberleyHavey and wish her an absolutely wonderful Charloe birthday (in case I don't get a new story up in time - my heads really in this one at the moment...), Cheers, Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… **

**Chapter 3, the seagull**

Bass dozed in his chair, waking himself at regular intervals with the ease of long practice to do another sweep of the waters around the island. Charlie stayed asleep although he was sure he'd felt her eyes on him several times during the night. She hadn't said anything though nor had she had to throw up again – good for her. The cats had come back after a couple of hours and he'd given them some of the leftover milk which they lapped up with a delicate efficiency. After winding themselves around his ankles a couple of times when they'd finished, they jumped back on the end of the bed and curled themselves into a comfortable pile… He'd made a quick trip downstairs again to wash Charlie's clothes, setting them out over a couple of chairs in front of the cooking range to dry then he returned to the top room taking up some clean water, a couple of apples and a few pieces of jerky in case she woke up hungry.

As dawn approached he watched the regular fishing boats start to head out on their usual routes to the fishing grounds. He knew most of the boats now – and their crews and they were a good lot for the most part, honest, strong and hardy men and women, used to the often dangerous – but rewarding - life on the sea. They'd adapted pretty well on the whole to a world without power and the town was part of a thriving trade network of coastal and inland communities. Nothing caught his eye as being out of the ordinary and he dozed off again…

'Why did you do it...?' her voice broke through the haze…

He was instantly awake… She was still in the bed, pushing herself up on her elbow, leaning a bit towards him, her hair tangled, catching the light in glinting strands and elf knots that clung around her shoulders. Her eyes were very blue in the early morning sunshine as she looked intently at him – a little frown playing between her brows, her lips and cheeks faintly pink, the green of the t-shirt looking incongruously bright and garish against her tanned skin… He reached down and poured two beakers of water, handing her one and taking a deep swallow from the other, then he shrugged and swung his feet down onto the floor from the footrest… 'For Miles… and maybe your Mom, mostly for you though…I figured you'd come all this way to see me, I couldn't just leave you there without giving you a chance to say hello…' his lips curved in an almost smile…

She ignored that, took a careful sip of water and looked down at the t-shirt 'and you put me in this…?'

'Don't worry, I was a complete gentleman the whole time…' he brought a hand up and rubbed his eyes tiredly… 'Your arm needed stitches and I had to get you warm and dry… '

Charlie gingerly lifted the sleeve up over her right bicep… revealing an angry looking scrape with a jagged cut at the centre, still seeping a little around two neat black sutures 'these...?'

Bass leaned forward to examine the cut... 'Its looking ok – but I'll need to clean it again… I've rinsed your clothes out too, and I think I can fix them up for you…' he stretched and yawned, then sat up straighter and rolled his shoulders to loosen them up…'not so sure about your tank and jacket but I'm pretty sure there are some things downstairs that'll fit you, your boots should be ok, I've rubbed them over with beeswax and they're drying out on the stove'.

She looked puzzled…'I… how did you know it was me in the boat?'

He shrugged again and tipped his head towards the telescope… 'I didn't… I was watching some idiot sail a boat straight into bad weather…' Charlie winced and looked pointedly out of the window…' 'Saw the boat go under and went down to the shore to see if anything had come in from the wreck…' an eyebrow lifted and his mouth twisted in a grin loaded with irony…'I certainly didn't expect to find you – all banged up and nearly dead…' and he couldn't help it, his eyes drifted to her mouth, remembering their cold softness under his and the desperate race to push breath and warm life back into her…

She leaned back against the pillows and pressed her free hand against her mouth…then looked over at him, a blush staining her cheeks…she ran her tongue over her lips as though she could taste him there still… 'How long was I out?'

He thought back… 'Nearly a full day… how long have you been tracking me Charlotte?'

'I met this guy, the other side of New Vegas, he told me he'd seen you… so I went there but some bounty hunters got to you first, then you stole their wagon and got away' she met his eyes – hers the blazing, angry blue of his memory…' I nearly had you there Monroe…'

He laughed out loud…his teeth white and shining, eyes bright blue and amused and crinkled at the corners…the laugh making his already handsome face look younger and strangely carefree… 'I knew it was you, Kid…I saw you running after the wagon…' the laugh turned into an admiring grin… 'And you might think you're running away from your Mom… but you're a hell of a lot like her, I thought you were more like Miles…but…' he shook his head 'he's just stubborn…and you… well you're stubborn and pig headed and you never know when to give up, and hey, that's Rachael to a T…'

Her eyes narrowed, enhancing the blue, and her full lips tightened in an angry line that was all Charlie Matheson … 'First off, Monroe, I'm nothing like my mom, fucking nothing like her… I'd never, ever, leave my…' her voice trailed off and two red spots of colour rose on her cheeks. She put the beaker of water down on the table with a thump and the cats raised their heads, their green gazes suddenly alert… Charlie took a breath, and calmed herself down a little… the two cats settled again but kept their eyes half open and trained on her…'And I'm not a kid…'

He looked her up and down, then his eyes met hers again, the pupils blowing out a little as he remembered the look and feel of the – very – adult body under that ridiculous tee and an eyebrow rose a little 'No, you're not, I'm sorry Charlotte…'

The colour in her cheeks spread more under his gaze and her eyes slid away from his…

The taut lines of his face softened…'I'm sorry for what I said about your mom too… I didn't know you felt that way about her…'

Charlie didn't reply…she hadn't realised until that moment that she felt like that either, no one had compared her to her mom before, that she could remember anyway – her dad hadn't really mentioned her mom except as a warning about what could happen on the road and Miles… Miles didn't often talk about anyone in a personal sense…and her Grandpa had said she was the spitting image of her Gran… Besides, she was too busy working out how to feel about this…weird situation.

Monroe had saved her life, if he hadn't found her…and had he really given her mouth-to-mouth? Her lips tingled… the kiss of life - from Monroe – and if that wasn't ironic she didn't know what was. Whatever; if he hadn't found her she'd be dead now… so she owed him, but he owed her too…for – well, so many things… not the least of which was making her walk halfway across the map to find him…

She examined the skin she could see; her arms were covered in scrapes and bruises, the worst on her bicep which was ringed in spreading purple… her hands were incredibly sore, her fingers tight and stiff, the skin of her palms abraded and an angry red, her fingernails torn and painful… She remembered trying vainly to hold onto the wheel of the boat, trying to steer the little craft through the stormy seas, the wood and metal of the wheel as harsh as coarse sandpaper on her skin…

Her legs felt sort of ok as long as she didn't move them too much; the cuts and grazes on them soothed by the smooth sheets… She felt under the covers and the awful – but thankfully clean - t-shirt and realised she wasn't wearing anything underneath it… Which meant that Monroe had seen her…

She looked up at him as the realisation hit her… he was watching her calmly, just waiting? 'You saw me naked…'

His lips (that had touched hers…) curved in a tiny smile…'Well, your underpants and bra were shredded anyway and I figured you'd rather have me see you naked than get pneumonia…' he shrugged 'Don't worry about it, Charlie, it didn't mean anything… '

Now why did her stomach do a flip and disappointment flatten her heart when he said that…? He was… Monroe - and it shouldn't matter…

He got up from the chair, looming over her… tall and disturbingly attractive in his old jeans, worn tee and rumpled leather jacket 'I've had quite a bit of first aid training and plenty of field experience; hell I've probably seen more naked bodies than you've had rabbit dinners…' and now he did grin…'and no one's complained yet…' He turned to the telescope to do another sweep… 'Now try to relax and eat something…' he adjusted the sights.. 'Play with the cats, get better… You can think about killing me again when it'll be a fairer fight…' he looked back at her with another of those infuriatingly likeable grins… 'Hey, you could always start planning how you're going to do it…'

Then he turned back to the telescope…

She was confused…this Monroe wasn't what she'd expected…it was like the General Monroe she'd met in Philly and who'd grudgingly (?) saved her life - the first time, in the Tower, had been changed into someone else, someone who was much more…human…? Someone who had an incredibly sexy smile, who passed her a bucket to be sick in and didn't seem phased at all by someone puking in front of him, and he liked cats… He was maybe a bit like she imagined an uncle should be…although a big part of her didn't like the uncle bit… fuck, it should mean something that she was naked and in a bed near him…

But maybe this was the Monroe who used to be Miles' best friend…? She'd wondered about that, wondered how and why the Miles she knew could have been friends for so long with someone like General Monroe, although Miles certainly had his secrets too… she decided to ask him…'You're different than… before, in Philly… What happened? What are you doing here?'

He let the telescope go and took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping a little, then he turned to her again…'I was trying to leave all the shit behind me, Charlie, find somewhere to just…live I guess…' His eyes were soft and sad…'I should have known that people like me aren't allowed to do that…' he gazed out of the window in front of him… his eyes following the flight of a seagull as it silently soared and wheeled above the waves…'You found me, and today, tomorrow or someday very soon bounty hunters or the Patriots or someone else who wants the reward for bringing in Sebastian Monroe will follow your trail here…'

He turned to face her again, his body tense...'So you can try to kill me if you want – and I'll even give you one free shot, I guess I owe you that, but then you have to go Charlie, you have to leave this place as soon as you can because if you stay too long, they'll find you too and I might not be able to protect you…' his eyes were the intense blue of the sky behind him through the window and they fixed on hers like twin beacons… 'If it's the Patriots they'll conscript you and turn you into one of their zombies, and if its bounty hunters or some other trash they'll probably just rape and kill you if you can't get them first and if its all three they'll run through this island like mad dogs…'

Charlie stared at him… 'But what will you do - if they manage to track me here…?' she found that she wanted to know - despite herself…

His eyes hardened…'I'm tired of running away, Charlotte… These Patriot guys are bad news, for all of us – and they dropped the bombs, I'm sure of it…' he nodded…'This is as good a place to make a stand as any and I've been preparing things for a while now, just in case something like this happened…' his lips curved in a fierce grin…'I've got a few little surprises dotted around the island and I figure I can take care of quite a few of the bastards before they get anywhere near me, and if I survive after that…well, I'll keep on fighting them – here or someplace else…'.

Charlie didn't know what to think; somehow the thought of him fighting here alone was…disturbing… maybe it was guilt at maybe leading his enemies here? He had saved her life after all… and she didn't like the idea of him fighting all alone against who knew how many… 'And you're sure they're coming…?'

He nodded…'I'd stake the sixty diamonds they've got on my head that there's some of them on their way here right now…' his eyes fixed on hers again, 'which is why I want to get you out of here as soon as you can walk…I've got some friends on the mainland you can stay with until you're ready to travel…' his mouth softened a little… 'I'd suggest you go back to Miles, to your family but that's up to you, as you said, you're not a kid anymore…'

Charlie felt her heart do that funny flip again…He wanted her to go… He had been her mission for so long and she'd thought about nothing else but killing him and now, just when she had the chance to do just that… She didn't want to do it…she didn't seem to want him dead… she wanted…

All of a sudden she felt very tired… she lay back down against the softness of the pillows (a luxury she'd nearly forgotten) and closed her eyes… and she felt the air currents shift as he moved away from her…

…

Charlie woke with a start… not quite realising where she was for a moment…then she remembered… The room was empty, Monroe was gone and so were the cats and the room was filled with the long shadows and warm, fading light of sunset… She sat up slowly and cautiously tested her body… She was still sore but she could move without things hurting too much. She checked her arm… Monroe must have cleaned the wound again while she slept because there was a rough but clean dressing wrapped around it - and again even though it was sore, she could move her arm freely.

There was a bundle at the end of the bed and she could see her own jeans as well as another, strange pair and a couple of shirts, ditto tanks and some assorted underwear and socks; she looked closer… the bras were her size exactly and she knew he couldn't have read the torn and faded label on her old one… the panties were right too. She was impressed but not too surprised that he knew his way around women; she'd watched that blond in New Vegas all but climb over him in the fight tent, not that she blamed her really, he'd been pretty amazing and if he wasn't Monroe she might have made a play for him herself… She shook that thought away…

He'd also left her a cake of soap and some washing water as well as another, empty bucket with a towel over it and she used both to freshen up before getting dressed, enjoying the feel of underwear that fitted and appeared new and pulling the tight jeans carefully up over the scraped skin of her legs. She chose a dark blue tank, matching check shirt and put them on, leaving the shirt unbuttoned. Some socks (another luxury…) then her boots, which seemed to have survived their dunking with little damage… In fact Monroe had somehow made them better than before and she was even more impressed about that than she'd been with his guessing her cup size… She felt her hair – it was thick with salt spray and felt course and stiff under her fingers, nothing she could do about that at the moment though… she caught it back in a rough knot at the base of her neck but that promptly fell out so she just left it and hoped it didn't look too bad.

Her stomach rumbling, she headed cautiously down the spiral staircase, carrying one of her ablutions buckets and following a delicious smell coming from somewhere downstairs. She hung on to the banister – thankfully smooth on the skin of her storm ravaged hands as she was still a little shaky. She could feel her strength returning though and was looking forward to something real to eat. The house was lit by oil lamps, hanging from the rail of the banister and set into the walls and as she moved down the stair she could see shadowy, framed pictures on the walls – mostly nautical scenes, ships on heaving seas, people in archaic uniforms and antique dresses with babes in arms looking with sadness and waving at unseen loved ones… Charlie liked the house, and she could easily understand why Monroe chose it, it seemed to fit him somehow, at least it fitted the man he seemed to be now…

She came to a generous landing and hall, all cream walls and limed wooden trim, with several doors opening off it – to bedrooms? All shut at the moment though and as the wonderful smell was obviously coming from further downstairs she didn't investigate but kept going down…at the bottom she came to another large space – a boot and coat room with the main door leading off it in front of her, a large lounge area with a huge open fireplace to her right and the door to the kitchen, where the smell of cooking was wafting from, tantalizing her senses and making her mouth water was to her left, the heavy, wooden panelled door standing slightly ajar… She pushed the door open so she could get in and went down the step leading into the room…then stopped dead in her tracks… Monroe stood in a large tub in the far corner of the room, his back to her… feet and lower legs hidden but everything else…there… Charlie just stood and admired the view for a long moment…after all he'd seen her naked hadn't he? It was only fair that she see him naked too, besides she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away…

He was humming a song she didn't know and washing his muscled torso with a soapy cloth… His skin looked smooth and pale, with tan lines across both forearms, his strong hands with their long fingers rubbing the cloth along first one arm then the other, soap bubbles highlighting the firm, rounded shoulders and biceps, the muscles of his back rippling as he moved, making the dark lines of tattoos dance – she couldn't quite make out what they were damn it… The tight muscles of his butt and thighs clenched and unclenched as he moved and she found herself studying them, just enjoying the rhythm of his movements…

He brought a foot up to rest on the side of the tub and she saw shadowy glimpses of his cock and balls hanging like heavy fruit between his legs as he scrubbed at his foot and leg… There was a moment's hesitation, then he casually put the leg down, still humming and got his balance, then faster than she would have believed possible he grabbed a pistol from a shelf near his head and swung around, the water in the tub splashing up around his knees with the speed of his turn and suddenly she was looking straight into the barrel of his pistol…

He smiled, his eyes gleaming in the shadows between the pooled light of the kitchen lamps, 'Hello Charlotte…' he kept the gun trained on her…'I guess we can call this your freebie…'

Charlie was still a little dazed at finding Monroe in all his glory… He was the most beautifully put together man she had ever seen; Jeff had been built, and from what she'd seen so was Jason, but neither of them were anywhere near as toned and muscular as Monroe, the man just rippled and the light made his wet flesh glimmer and shine in all the right places…and as for the rest…her eyes kept straying downwards despite her best efforts at trying to keep them away…

She couldn't care less about the gun, but she put the bucket down and held her hands out and up anyway to show him she was unarmed…'I…' she cleared her throat, trying to keep her eyes at face level and only just succeeding…fuck, he had a great smile too…and she could still see his chest (and the rest of him) in her peripheral vision 'I smelled something really good down here…' she realised how that might sound too late and tried again…"I mean… there was a really great smell coming from here so I came down to have a look….' Shit, that was even worse; Monroe must think she'd never seen a man before…she was rambling like a dumbstruck virgin…

He chuckled and put the gun back on its shelf…'Must've been the stew…I was going to bring some up to you…' He stepped out of the tub onto a towel laid out on the slate floor, not bothering to cover up, just reaching for another towel hanging on a hook near the shelf and lazily drying the back of his neck and one shoulder - which did really interesting things to his chest - and the rest of him, and as he obviously didn't mind her looking she let her gaze drop down; his large and impressively thick cock bobbed slightly and swelled under her gaze, heading steadily upwards… He let out a sort of choked off laugh and brought the towel around to dry his legs, half obscuring her view… 'Charlie, if you keep looking at me like that I'm going to find it really hard to concentrate on the cooking…'

Charlie found she was enjoying herself… Maybe it was partly because she was feeling better – thanks mostly to him… but her feelings for Monroe seemed to have taken a turn into something she wasn't really able to name at the moment… She didn't want to kill him right now anyway… she did want to fuck him though, very much…and there was no reason not to… They were alone on an island, and anyone who might criticize was far, far away… Hell, neither she nor Monroe would probably live long enough to regret anything anyway if what he'd said was true…

She tipped her head and gave him a dimpled grin…her eyes laughing at him…'Are you saying that you want me to stop looking, Monroe…?'

His smile deepened…and so did his voice… 'I am saying that if you want to stop at looking you might want to say so now, Charlie… '

She took a step into the room …'I think I need to come closer…' she ran her tongue over her lips and took another step… 'So I can see a bit better…'

Monroe reached out; keeping his eyes fixed on her and blindly hung the towel back on its hook… then he held his hands out to the sides as she walked slowly towards him…'Is this better Charlie…?'

She sighed…'Oh yes…' she stopped just out of touching distance and looked up at his face. His lips were curved in a soft smile beneath the moustache and the scruff of his beard framed the firm lines of his jaw… His hair was in tousled curls that made her ache with wanting to run her fingers through them… His eyes were blue – blown out to black and were regarding her with intense fascination and… understanding…? His body was big and real and solid in front of her and he was so, so beautiful… She reached out and ran her fingers lightly down his forearm to his hand, lacing her fingers with his, then moved her gaze down to where their hands met… It was so strange but she absolutely trusted this man…she didn't know how or why the change had happened but it had and she knew, just knew, that he wouldn't hurt her - or do anything that she didn't want him to do… He stood there, waiting for her to say something…do something…

She looked back up at him…'I think we could do better than better, Monroe…' she moved closer and rested her other hand on his chest, stroking it up and around the curve of his neck…'Do you want to try it and see…?'

He brought his free arm around her waist and pulled her in closer, pressing her up against the warm hard length of him…then he reached down and his lips were suddenly on hers, gently exploring, warm and firm, his tongue flickering between her lips, meeting hers… Charlie felt her skin tingling and tightening from her lips to her clit and everywhere in between as his hand stroked her back, moving down over her ass then back up to her shoulders, leaving streaks of sensation behind it… his other hand tightened on hers, his thumb circling over her palm and around her wrist… She pressed closer, her nipples aching and she could feel his hardening cock against her belly, a thick ridge of warm, pulsing flesh and she wanted him to do so much more than kiss her…

He took a shuddering breath against her lips… 'Charlie, you've got way too many clothes on…you need to get them off right now or I'm going to have to tear them off you…'

She felt a bolt of something primal and exciting race down to her core, sending a molten charge to her clit at the thought of him tearing off her clothes and for a moment she was tempted to let him to do it, but good clothes were scarce… She stepped back a little and took off her shirt, dropping it on the floor behind her, then she lifted the bottom of her tank top and stripped it off over her head…dropping it in the same place, she paused and looked at him…

Monroe was standing there watching her, his eyes hot and avid, one hand stroking the hard length of his cock…'And the rest…'

Charlie turned around so her back was to him and gathered the heavy mass of her hair over one shoulder 'Will you undo me Monroe…?' she felt his hands at her back, unhooking her bra then sliding the straps down over her shoulders, his hands stroking down her arms then dropping the bra with her other things. He slid his hands back up and circled them underneath her arms, his hands cupping her breasts…his thumbs rasping over her nipples, making the sensitive skin around them tingle and her nipples stand out proudly…

'I'm going to undo you till you can't move Charlie…' his voice whispered in her ear, making her shiver with anticipation… His hands moved down over her belly to the button of her jeans and he undid that, and the buttons below that, sliding the material down over her hips, catching the band of her panties with his thumbs on the way so that they went down too… he followed his hands as they pushed her jeans down her legs, his lips pressing hot, damp kisses down her spine then he rubbed his scruff against the cheeks of her ass before pressing a kiss to each cheek sending a tingle up her spine… He got to her boots and undid each one, lifting a foot at a time to get them off, letting her lean against the hard strength of him as he took off her socks and finally the legs of her jeans…

Charlie was so turned on she thought she was going to burst into flames if he didn't screw her right now, but he slowly stood up, brushing against her as he did so that she felt him slide against her skin… a concert of sensation that made her sway back against him, a sighing breath escaping her lips… she turned to face him and smiled as she saw the look of intense concentration on his face as he gazed at her…

He gently ran his hands up to cup her face, reaching down to press another kiss on her lips…'You are so fucking beautiful Charlie…'

Charlie reached up to his shoulders then dragged her fingernails - not too hard – down to his groin, he gasped and she brought both hands together around his waiting and very ready cock…sliding her fingers up and down the velvety hardness…'So are you Monroe…'

He picked her up suddenly and backed her up against the wall, lifting one of her legs up in the crook of his arm so that she was pinned, ready for him, his fiery blue eyes came closer, full of intent and totally male purpose, and she felt the wide head of his cock at her entrance… She braced herself…and then he plunged home, she was so wet that he slid in but he stretched her out until she gasped and scissored her other leg around him to bring him even closer, loving the feel of him inside her… He drew almost the whole way out, the heavy ridge around the head of his cock rubbing the sensitive flesh around her opening…then he slid back in until she gasped… doing it again and again until they were both dripping with sweat and panting for breath… Charlie slipped a hand down to her clit, her fingers sliding and pinching the sensitive flesh until she was almost there…Monroe picked up the pace and she could feel the tension rising in him too, his breath coming in gasps, the muscles of his arms trembling, and she felt herself tumble over the edge into a splintered, light filled moment of release and pleasure and a moment later felt him pull out and spill over her belly, his body shuddering as he came…

The wall felt nice and soft against her back and her front was cushioned by Monroe's warm, firm body, his arm still holding her up, her other leg still wrapped around his waist… his cock – still semi-hard – pinned between the two of them… Charlie giggled…'Am I getting heavy?'

There was a rustle of breath next to her ear…'No…I'm good…' Then he drew back and looked at her, his eyes serious…'Charlie, you are the best thing that's happened to me in a very, very long time…'

Charlie gazed into those beautiful eyes… 'me too…' she said, then she slid down until her feet were on the floor although she kept her arms around him…loving the feel of his skin, the roughness of the hair dusting his chest and belly, the smooth muscles that seemed to have held her so effortlessly… she grinned up at him…'I could really murder some of that stew now though…' She slid her hand down over the lovely curves of his chest…'Why don't we take some upstairs… we could eat and then we could… you know… do some more undoing…'

He grinned down at her and kissed the tip of her nose… 'I love the way you think Charlie…'

….

Charlie woke up to kisses in the pale light of dawn that started at her ear – which made her laugh as it tickled - then trailed down her neck over each breast, each nipple getting loving attention from tongue and lips that circled and teased until she squirmed her delight, his hands hard on her waist then her hips as he moved down her body… Her belly button was next and her back arched as his tongue invaded and sucked… Then he moved down to her pussy, still sensitive from their lovemaking through the night and she gasped as his mouth and tongue worked yet more magic… She had come undone more times than she could count and she was feeling boneless and dreamily satisfied, although as he lifted his head and looked up at her with those electric blue eyes she invited him to go again with a lift of her hips and a leg, circling his hips, urging him on… And he surged up, sliding into her with a now familiar fullness and it wasn't too long and she was undone all over again….

…..

When she woke again he was at the telescope, the long lines of his body a classic silhouette in the morning sun… He turned the viewer to look through another arc and was suddenly very still…

'What is it…? Although she knew already…

He turned to her, his face impassive, guarded… 'Patriots, by the look of them… at least twenty, they'll be on the island in three maybe four hours depending on the wind and how good their crew is in these waters…' he knelt down by the bed and took her hand bringing it up to his lips… 'Charlie…I've loved being with you... you've given me something I'll remember for as long as I live…now I need you to do something for me…'

She felt tears come to her eyes and she looked away from him, hoping he wouldn't ask that of her, not now…

He pulled her chin gently round so that she was looking at him again… 'I want you to take my boat and go, Charlie, while there's time…'

…..

AN: Hi folks, I hope you liked this and thanks so much for reading – I'll get another chapter up as soon as I can, but thought this was a good place to pause again… life has been very hectic lately but I am really enjoying writing this story and have the next bit planned out (just have to write and edit it….), Cheers, Magpie


	4. Chapter 4

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page)

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Thanks so much for reading – and for the lovely reviews and favourites! I really hope that you like where the story goes from here. I so love sailing on the Charloe ship! … Cheers and good wishes, Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… **

**Chapter 4, Storm Petrel **

He pulled her chin gently round so that she was looking at him… 'I want you to take my boat and go Charlie, while there's time…'

She held his eyes, hers a depthless swimming blue that he longed to drown in…'I'm not going anywhere Monroe…' she sat up on the bed, her breasts swinging a little with her movement and he shifted so that he could keep level with her…his hand moving down to caress the soft skin of her underarms and the sides of those breasts… she leaned into his hand and his breath caught then she ran her tongue over her bottom lip… 'I can help you, I don't like the Patriots any more than you do…'

He was willing to beg…'Charlie, these are soldiers – probably some of their zombies – and believe me they are crazy bastards…' he took her hand, 'besides, it'll be hard for me to concentrate on them if I'm worried about you…'

Charlie took her hand back…'Listen, Monroe…' she frowned up at him although her lips were smiling…his eyes drawn to their lush curves… 'And just for the record, it feels really stupid calling you that when we've fucked each other silly all night…'

He couldn't take his eyes off those lips, he could still taste her on his… so he leaned over and kissed her again, reluctant laughter shaking his chest 'You're right Charlie… and my friends used to call me Bass…' he moved closer… 'But you can call me anything you like if you'll go where I know you'll be safe…'

She took a deep breath…'and where will I be safe...Bass? On the mainland - where there are Patriots and War clans…and people like Drexel?' she leaned towards him, pushing the covers away, her hair golden and tangled around her shoulders, her skin pale and gleaming, bruises from the shipwreck shadowy shapes along her arms… Her breasts were rounded and firm, the nipples rising into peaks in the cooler air of the room, her long, slim legs and the shadowy cleft between them making him take a sudden breath – he reached out to run his fingers over the smooth flesh of her hip and down the creamy thigh…

He groaned…'You're not playing fair Charlie…' he gave her an inquisitive look… 'And how do you know Drexel…? he's a fucking evil son of a bitch…'

She swung herself up and around, and suddenly he was surrounded by her, her weight knocking him down onto his heels, her legs holding him prisoner between them with surprising strength… hands reaching down to frame his face…'Miles took us to Drexel's place, Nora needed a doctor and Drexel had one… then Aaron ended up killing him…' she laughed at the look on his face…'I'll tell you about it later Bass, the thing is though, that I've travelled for months on my own and I've been in plenty of situations where I needed to think and act quickly to survive…' she ran her hand up to his shoulder and he brought one of his up to cover hers…'And don't forget that I travelled with Miles for months too, fighting all the way…' she held his gaze although he – and his very awake and crowing cock, were longing to feast on other things…'I can work with you, I can help… I'm good at fighting; I'm good at a lot of things…'

He sighed then chuckled drily…'Oh Charlie… yes you are…' he regarded her appraisingly… 'Are you sure you're fit enough to run and fight though? It wasn't that long ago that you nearly drowned…' he grinned at her 'Hell, it wasn't that long ago either that your dearest wish was to put a hole in me… and are you willing to do what I tell you?' he reached down with one hand and the other slid down to cup her ass, pulling her forward onto his waiting cock… slowly sinking himself into her tight, wet warmth… 'After all, this is my island, I found it first…'

She returned the grin, her eyes glazing and her face softening as he slid slowly in and out of her…'I'm not sure I could run too far or that fast after last night and… all this… ' Her grin got wider, then hardened into intense concentration as she rested her forearms on his shoulders and increased their pace, riding him faster, her hair swinging around his face, the slapping sounds of their bodies meeting coming louder and faster… Then she suddenly stopped moving… holding them both still; their breathing harsh… She held herself on his cock, her inside muscles clenching him tight…

Bass took a sharp breath in, his fingers hard on her hips and butt cheeks, his thumbs circling over the sensitive skin of her belly…. She licked her lips and dropped a kiss on his forehead…moving her hips in little circles over his cock, brushing her ass along his thighs, making him swallow hard, his stomach muscles tightening in the effort not to thrust…letting her govern the pace… she swept her lips down to his ear, running her tongue along the folds… 'But don't worry Bass' she whispered into his ear, her breath making him shiver with sensation… then she sat back again, 'I'll keep up, and I'll even let you tell me what to do - for a while anyway…' she ran her fingers through the curls at the base of his skull sending another burst of pleasure down his spine…

His chuckle vibrated against her and he licked down to her breasts, circling one erect nipple with his lips and running his tongue over the sensitive peak… Then he looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers in a searing promise… 'You are one amazing hellion of a woman Charlie…and we'll make those Patriot bastards regret ever coming here…' Then he pulled out and slammed back into her, making her gasp and tighten her grip around his shoulders, a scream erupting from her throat as he plunged in to her again and again…his thumbs swept down to her clit, massaging and working the firm little ridge and sensitive nub until she was quivering against him, her breath coming in ragged gasps that broke into a hoarse yell as she came apart around him, slumping boneless over his shoulders…

Bass braced and lifted her off him, resting her back against the side of the bed, spilling himself in a final surge onto the floor between his legs, then he let her back down onto his thighs and buried his head against her shoulder, hugging her tight… her legs draped around him in graceful abandon, her hair covering them both in a golden curtain, the sunlight picking up and highlighting strands, turning them into molten streaks…

They rested there for an endless moment… then Bass took a long breath and let it out slowly in a regretful sigh…'We'd better get going, Charlie…the sooner we get rid of the zombies the sooner we can get back to doing this…' his arms tightened around her…

She chuckled against his shoulder and her breasts rubbed in a delightful slide against his chest… 'That'll be good…' She leaned back and looked him in the eyes, hers serious… she lifted a hand and brought it up to his face, running her thumb gently along the ridge of his cheekbone, her palm resting down the side of his cheek… 'I don't know why or how I feel like this Bass, and I know there's a lot still that I haven't worked out…' her lips curved in a tender smile…'but whatever happens I'm glad I came here' the smile widened 'and I'm really glad you saved me….' She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and her dimple flashed…'but most of all, I'm especially glad you were having a bath when I walked down to the kitchen…' She felt his body tighten as he started to laugh, 'or we might still be dancing around whatever this is that we're doing...'

His eyes crinkled and he tossed his head back as his laugh rang out…'Oh Charlie….' He pulled her in close…'I think they still call it fucking our brains out…' he stopped laughing and his gaze settled on her again, the blue of his eyes so intense she could almost feel it on her skin… 'And I'm glad you came here too… I think you brought me back to life with a kiss…' the eyes became a liquid, swirling blue as he gazed into hers…'I was planning to make this my last stand, Charlie, I knew they'd find me sooner or later and all I wanted was to take as many of the bastards with me as I could before they finished me and then the world would be finally rid of Sebastian Monroe…'

She frowned…'Its different now though, isn't it…?'

He nodded slowly…'Oh yeah, it's different now, Charlie…' he leaned forward to kiss her again, his lips demanding a answer from hers – and she gave it… Somehow everything was different now…

…..

They were sitting round the big oak table in the kitchen having a late breakfast of eggs, from the chickens that Bass had found and rounded up, and rough corn bread. Bass was still working on a way of properly drying and grinding the maize he'd found gone wild in a couple of the gardens on the island but when the rough grind was mixed with some of the goat's milk and fried in duck fat with the eggs it was pretty damn tasty even if he did say so himself…and Charlie was hoeing into it like she'd never be full... On his last trip to the mainland he'd been able to trade for some Mexican coffee and palm sugar too and steaming mugs sat on the table in front of them along with some clean, boiled water from the nearby spring and a bowl of early apples…

'This is really good Bass' she mumbled through a mouthful, taking a gulp of coffee then reaching for another piece of corn bread as she studied an old tourist map of the island. Bass had found it in the Information centre at the ferry dock in Duck Harbor on one of his expeditions around the island…'Where do you think they'll come in…?'

He pointed at a spot marked 'Town Landing'…'There – at the old ferry dock…' He sipped at his own coffee, then put the mug down away from the precious map… 'There are only two safe landing spots on the island, Town Landing and Duck Harbor…' he moved his finger….'there…' his lips curved in a tight grin…'everywhere else is too dangerous…the rocks go right out and if the Patriots try to land anywhere else they'll crack their boat like an egg…' He moved his finger again…'See the lighthouse…? It was put there to let ships know not to go anywhere near it…'

Charlie looked...'So why wouldn't they go round the other side of the island?'

The grin widened…'Same thing only worse, Charlie - that's open sea…bigger swells and bigger rocks…' he nodded…'They'd probably have a local skipper and he or she wouldn't want to scupper their own boat so they'll take the safest route - and that's down between Kimball Island and Isle au Haut to Town Landing'

She sat back, munching on another piece of bread… 'So what's the plan Bass…?'

He tipped his head back to finish his coffee…then put the mug down…'I was going to lead them into the forest then pick them off but with two of us there's another possibility…'

Charlie looked up expectantly…'Decoy's?'

He nodded… 'We could pin them down at the landing… stop them coming any further onto the island, with two of us we could cover enough ground to do it' His eyes were gleaming 'and I've been working on a couple of things that might give us an edge…' he got up and went out into the hall…

Charlie took the opportunity to finish off the eggs and bread – and to brew up some more coffee. She was feeling good, the bruises from her dunking were feeling better, her arm ditto; she was maybe a little sore in her nether regions but…and she grinned, totally fucking worth it… She thought back to the girl in the tent in New Vegas with a bit more understanding. If another woman tried to get near Bass now they'd have to go through her to do it… because Charlie Matheson didn't share well at all… She heard him coming back and looked over at the door, staring in amazement before breaking out in gales of laughter…

Bass was standing just inside the doorframe, his arms around two life-size figures, holding them up so they were standing on either side of him. They had footballs for heads, wearing beanies and scarves over wind-jackets and jeans, held up by braces… Their bodies and limbs appeared to be made from broomsticks and he had made them jointed so as he came into the room, they seemed to move around in a jerky but somehow believable way… He grinned; lifting the outside arm of each figure and making them wave at her…'Hey Charlie, I'd like you to meet Henry and June…'

Charlie got up to see them better, her eyes sparkling… She was impressed; they were really well put together and he'd even managed to give them faces with paint and stitching. They had mop heads for hair, and he'd trimmed Henry's short, leaving it white under a brown beanie, June's was dyed black and tied in pigtails and her blue hat set off the hair beautifully…'Bass they're wonderful… Can I have Henry…?'

Bass shook his head 'I don't know that I trust him with you Charlie, he's a dirty old man…' and when she looked closer she could see that he'd painted a surprisingly realistic leer on the tan leather face and that, plus the round glasses attached made Henry very life like… 'And besides, I don't want any other guy near you but me' he pushed the female figure towards her… 'Here…you can have June…'

They sat the two figures on chairs at the table so they could finish planning… Charlie kept glancing sideways at them though… They made the kitchen suddenly seem more cozy and when she thought of the time and trouble that Bass must have spent on making them her heart ached for him… She took a deep breath and bent over the map again; back to business… 'So where are June and I going to be having our little tete a tete…?'

….

Bass had gone upstairs to check on the Patriot boat's position one more time and he was as sure as he could be that the boat was heading into Town landing as he'd hoped. The vessel had gotten close enough for him to recognize it through the telescope and Bass knew who the skipper was likely to be. The man was well known locally as a hard drinking but fair trader and he ran a fleet of several boats with the help of his wife, two daughters and three sons… Bass had had a couple of friendly bouts in the local fight tent with two of the sons and had had more than a few sessions involving cards and a lot of whiskey with the father…

The boat was going a lot slower than she could, and was under a lot less sail than she'd usually carry in the current conditions – and the skipper had followed the route with the best visibility from high points on the island. The man seemed to be helping Bass out as much as he could while not getting on the wrong side of the Patriots and Bass didn't think he could ask for more than that… the guy had a family to protect after all… If they got through this ok he'd be sure to thank him properly.

…

He and Charlie, along with Henry and June, were almost ready to head down the tunnel to the inlet where he'd found Charlie, picking up some of his other supplies along the way… They had just enough time to get set up in the hillside rocks above the landing before the boat pulled in. Bass had let the goats and piglets out into the garden – if the worst happened and he and Charlie didn't come back, they would eventually get through the fences and go back to the hills… He'd lured the cats out of the house with some scraps and had left the latch of the goat paddock loose… Knowing the goats, they'd work their way out in no time but he'd rather have to catch them again than have them trapped if he didn't come back…

He stood and looked at the house for a few moments, Charlie was standing next to the front door under the porch, waiting for him; June slung over her hip with the dolls head resting on her shoulders… And damn if she didn't look like she was holding a child… Bass swallowed a lump in his throat… Was he a fool to hope that she would ever think of having a baby with him…? He could almost imagine blond curls resting on her shoulder instead of the rough wig of a hastily put together manikin… They could make a good life here, a full life, if she somehow decided that she wanted to stay with him – that is if they survived today….

Then he remembered who he was and what he was…a fugitive, a hunted man and he had no right even thinking about asking her to stay with him because even if they were lucky enough to get rid of this lot of Patriots there was bound to be another and another and another after that. He'd have to let her go, for her own sake even though everything in him protested that he'd finally, finally found the woman he'd always been looking for in all of the rest…

He pulled himself together, there were some Patriot soldiers to get out of the way right now and he'd just have to hope they'd have time for dreams later…Maybe he should ask her again if she'd go and wait for him on the mainland… Then he had another idea… He waved and hurried up to join her…

Charlie watched him as he strode towards her, his long legs eating up the strides, his dark blond curls shining in the early afternoon sun… There was something in his eyes that she couldn't read, a distance that hadn't been there before… She carefully rested June against the corner of the doorframe and moved to meet him… 'What is it Bass…?'

He stopped, just in front of her…'Charlie, I've been thinking… my boat is moored down at Duck Harbor, it's covered by a Tarp and a strip of camo but you'll be able to spot it…'

She started shaking her head…'Oh no you don't…we've talked about this before Bass and I thought we had it all worked out, I'm not leaving you…'

He put his hands up to her shoulders… 'Charlie' he leaned closer…'I just wanted you to know it was there, in case things go wrong today…'

'Things aren't going to go wrong…' her eyes were stormy… 'It's a good plan…'

Bass tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear…'Charlie...It is a good plan and I'm pretty sure that It'll work…' he dropped a kiss on the top of her head…' but If I go down or they capture me I want you to run like hell for Duck Harbor, take my boat and get away from here – don't try anything stupid like try to save me or anything…'

Charlie pulled away from him…suddenly she felt very calm…'Bass, I'm not stupid and you know it. If something goes really wrong and if I don't think I can get you out of it then yes I'll go and find your boat…' She gazed up at him…her face set and her eyes very steady. He looked down at her, a strange expression on his face…'But if you go and do something stupid and get yourself hurt or captured just because you think you aren't good enough for me and that I should go and find some completely boring, fat young farmer who'll drive me to drink in a month…' She lifted a hand and slapped him, hard…'I'll kill you myself…'

She turned on her heel and picked up June, tucking her under her arm. Then she whirled back to face him – he was still standing there with a slightly dazed expression on his face…she frowned…'Well? Are you coming…?'

His mouth opened and he lifted an eyebrow…'Ok Charlotte…' then he grinned…

….

AN: Hi there, and thanks so much for reading! I'm madly reading up on the topography of the island so that I can make the scene with the Patriots as realistic as possible - although I think there will be a certain amount of artistic license, so if Isle au haut is anyone's favorite holiday destination I hope I don't make too much of a hash of it…There will be more Charloe of course too...just because...

Anyway, hope to see you at the next chapter, cheers, Magpie


	5. Chapter 5

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page)

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Thanks so much for reading – and for the lovely reviews and favourites! Cheers and good wishes, Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… **

**Chapter 5, Carrion Crow **

Charlie and Bass were crouched behind a long, low, drystone wall that ran along a ridge at the top of the hill a few hundred feet up a grassy slope from the wooden jetty of the landing. A short distance behind them sat the mostly intact, whitewashed building that used to be the island's General store. Henry and June were slumped, ready for action, against the steps at the side of the building. The slope below was scattered with several large boulders and rocky piles that would be good for cover from either direction – and were also where Bass had concentrated his defences. From their vantage point they had a good view of the boat ferrying the Patriots to the island as it got closer - at the moment it could be seen through the binoculars heading towards them through the deeper waters of the straits between Isle au Haut and Kimball Island.

The mostly grey stone buildings of the town sat nestled in the hills behind them, inhabited now only by ghosts, feral goats and wild birds nesting in the eaves… The pale stone spire of the church rose into a clear blue sky, its bell ringing now only when the wind blew strong enough… The days were starting to get cooler now and both Bass and Charlie were in jackets – Bass in his old favourite leather and Charlie in a goose-down showerproof she'd found in one of the cupboards in the house, it smelled slightly musty but was still serviceable and warm…

The weather ravaged Tourist information centre cum boathouse sat where the jetty joined the stony shore behind a small stone retaining wall set above the half moon beach. Its wooden doors were hanging off their hinges, and the wooden frame and whitewashed weatherboard walls as well as most of the roof were open to the elements, but it could still provide plenty of cover and Bass was counting on at least some of their unwanted visitors going into the building. So, on one of his trips out of the house while Charlie was sleeping he'd sawn through the key timbers of the structure and set up enough booby traps that any careless movement or extra weight in the wrong place would bring the whole structure down on top of whoever was inside.

Bass had already shown Charlie the other preparations he'd made on the map that morning in the kitchen but they'd spent the last few minutes going over plans again and scoping out the actual locations of the camouflaged ditches, pit traps and other little surprises he'd been working on over the last few months – knowing that someday he'd need them…

…

The boat, a 75 footer workhorse converted to steam power - the name 'Celine D' written on the side in faded red and white script, was one of the larger fishing vessels operating locally. She was approaching the jetty now, slowing to a dead crawl and Bass and Charlie could clearly see the shapes of Patriot troops milling on the decks, their packs and the shapes of a few guns bulking out their silhouettes…

Bass raised his binoculars to get a better look…'I count twenty one plus one strangely familiar pain in my ass…' he shook his head and passed the binoculars to her…'here, have a look…'

She took the viewer and put it to her eyes… then chuckled… 'You're right, it's Adam…I thought I lost him a few weeks back, he must be a hell of a lot better at tracking than I thought…' Adam, one of the bounty hunters from New Vegas – the ones who thought they'd had Sebastian Monroe in the bag until he ran off with their wagon, leaving the older hunter dead, Adam cursing his luck and one Charlie Matheson gasping for breath – was standing at the bow of the boat, obviously planning to be first on shore…

Bass frowned…'So how do you know his name?'

Charlie lifted an eyebrow…'After you ran off and left us both stranded in New Vegas…' she shrugged…'we realised we had something in common so we ended up travelling together for a while, trying to pick up your trail…'

Bass grabbed the binoculars out of her hands and had another look… ok, the guy was good looking enough, if you liked the tall, well built, boy band type…'So how well did you get to know him…?'

Her other brow rose and she slanted a grin his way…'Why? are you jealous…?'

His lips curved in a wide smile, although his eyes were hard as he looked down at Adam's tall figure and he shrugged…'No… I was just wondering if my blowing his head off is going to be a problem…'

Charlie shook her head…'no problem…I don't like killing if I don't have to… but what else we can do with him? I mean, we can hardly keep him tied up in the cellar, and we can't let him go…' she smiled confidently…'and you're a bad liar, Bass Monroe…'

He reached out with his spare hand and tweaked a strand of her hair… then adjusted the focus on the binoculars…not looking at her… 'So… did you?'

'Did I what?'

He put the binoculars down on the grass beside him and turned to face her…'Did you screw Mr tall, dark and annoyingly persistent?'

She frowned, sudden anger making her eyes snap…'Not that it's any of your business, Bass, but no I didn't, we were too fucking busy working out how to get back onto the trail of your stupid ass…' Then she punched his arm, her lips twisting in a reluctant grin as a sly smile crossed his face…'Bastard…' she sat back, her head tipped to the side, eyeing him thoughtfully…'So what would you have done if I'd said yes?'

The smile disappeared and the blue eyes became very calm and distant, the sudden change shocking her…'I'd have asked you if you still wanted him and if you said yes then I'd have kept him alive for you…' he blinked… 'Then I'd take off in my boat and make sure no one could find me…'

Charlie stared at him for a moment… he looked like he really meant that; there was a vulnerable look on his face that made her ache again…' You'd really do that, wouldn't you…' she let out a breath...

He looked back towards the boat, a few hundred yards from the jetty now; there was movement on the deck, people moving around in preparation for landing… He heaved a breath, shoulders slumping… 'I'm no good for you, Charlie… Although I won't lie, I wish it were different, you make me hope for things I've no right to, and since you got here you've made me feel things I never thought I'd feel again …' He braced his shoulders and reached for his gun, sighting down the barrel at the boat… 'But there's always going to be a price on my head unless someone sorts out the Patriots and whatever's left of the Militia and I don't know who the hell that's going to be…

He lifted his head from the sights and looked down at the weapon…'Me and Miles might have had a shot but fuck that's not gonna happen…' he shrugged, put the gun back down on the top of the wall and turned towards her…the muscles around his mouth tight, frown lines deep between his brows, his eyes still avoiding hers… 'Oh, and lets not forget Texas, they've got a bounty out on me as well, and I suppose I should be grateful that Cali just got one of their witchy types to put a hex on me, that may have actually worked as things haven't exactly gone swimmingly for me lately' he choked off a laugh...'at least the Plains Nations couldn't give a crap…' Then his eyes finally met hers, a depth of despair and loss in them that tore at her heart…

'Bass…' she moved closer to him, her hand reaching out…

'Let me finish, Charlie, please?' he held his hand up to stop her coming closer then rubbed it across his chin and the scruff there, looking off into the distance… 'I thought I'd found somewhere here that I could just disappear, where I wouldn't get anyone else tangled up in my fucked up life… but when I saw you on that beach I thought that you maybe were a sign that I could find Miles again, find what was left of the only family I had left…'

He sighed, a heavy breath that caught on the way out…'but I was wrong, Charlie, trying to find Miles would be wrong…I'd just be leading trouble straight to his door, and to your Mom… I see that now…' his eyes caught hers in a swimming blue net… 'And then you… and me… happened; and I found myself wishing for something much more than just catching up with Miles…I wanted you...for me...'

He leaned back against the wall and looked across at her, his face set, eyes so serious… 'But, just then, when I found out that you knew Adam, I realized that he could give you so much more than me…that maybe he'd be better for you than me… so, yes, if you said you wanted him I'd save him for you, and maybe you'd have something better than a fugitive who'll probably only get you killed…'

She'd once thought that Sebastian Monroe was a monster, but she'd known differently for a little while now… The General Monroe she'd met in Philly and in the Tower had been someone in the grip of the same madness that had affected her mom - and Miles, and who knows how many others – and that madness had led to the death of her dad and Danny, and the bombing of Philly and Atlanta. It was the madness of a generation caught up in the aftermath of the blackout… and it had affected her too, for a long time… She understood that so much more now, and the last couple of days with Bass had made things very clear…

He sat there quietly, his eyes lowered, waiting for her to answer him… Charlie took a quiet breath… 'I don't know what it is that we have, Bass… or how long it'll last, or what will happen to us…who ever knows that..? but I do know that it feels right…' she said, and reached out to take his hand, lacing her fingers through his long ones… 'And I know that I care about you…' she leaned forward, tipping her head sideways so that she could look into his eyes… 'And I don't care about Adam, not like that... He's pretty enough I guess but he's boring as hell, why do you think I left him behind? it was that or put an arrow in him..' she saw a small twitch start at the corner of Bass' mouth and she knew she was getting through…'Bass, I don't want him dead, I don't want anyone dead… but if he gets in between you and me, or if he threatens you, I am perfectly happy for him to die…'

Bass still said nothing…although his thumb was running little circles over the soft skin of her wrist…

Charlie moved a little closer again, shuffling forward on her knees… 'So lets fight one battle at a time, ok? First we need to get rid of these Patriot guys – and Adam, then we can work on the next thing, together… and maybe that means going to Miles, or maybe it means fighting the Patriots ourselves, I don't know yet'

She was in between his thighs now, his bent knees rising on either side of her…the heat of his body radiating out… 'And maybe we have to go somewhere else anyway – because maybe you're right, if they know you're here they won't stop coming and that's my fault, because I led them here. But you never know' she tried a smile… 'We might be lucky and these guys haven't told anyone else, maybe they wanted the glory themselves... I know that Adam wouldn't want to share if he could get out of it...' She felt his warmth, could smell his clean, male smell, the soap that he'd used… the smell of old sweat and wood-smoke on his jacket… She leaned herself up against him, ran her free hand up his chest and around the back of his neck… 'Either way we'll work it out together, ok?'

Bass let go her hand and took a deep, shuddering breath… 'Charlie, do you know just how amazing you are…?'

Charlie reached up and found his lips, parting them with her own, and his arms went round her, holding her so tightly against him, his hands almost desperately stroking wherever they could reach that she gasped into his open mouth as he kissed her as though there was nothing else in the world but them…

After a long moment when the kiss seemed to be all that she knew, Bass pulled back a little so he could meet her eyes… 'Ok then, its you and me… so are you ready to do this, Charlie…?'

She nodded, her lips swollen and her eyes bright… She gave him a predatory smile… 'June's raring to go and so am I…'

He smiled back, his eyes gleaming…'Henry's got a hard on too…'

….

Bass watched as the Patriots unloaded their gear. Adam had jumped onto shore as soon as he was near enough, dropped down behind one of the wooden pilings, taken out his own binoculars and started searching the hillside… but the bounty hunter wouldn't see anything suspicious yet; things would only start happening once the boathouse collapsed…

None of the Patriots were familiar to him and from what he could see the group were a fairly motley selection of raw recruits and seasoned troops; most of them looking rough around the edges, their uniforms dirty and ragged, few had guns, most carried swords and smaller hand weapons… The highest ranked amongst them was a Sergeant by his insignia… Bass looked again to make sure... maybe Charlie was right… perhaps Adam had found a troop down on its luck and promised them a share of the bounty… Bass wondered if he'd told them just who they were after…

Once the Patriots were all ashore, and getting themselves organised, Bass watched Jake – his cards and drinking buddy from the mainland and skipper of the Celine D, casually untie the mooring ropes, step back aboard the boat and shove off from the jetty using one of the poles set on the deck for that purpose, just as casually raising one arm above his head in a waving salute.

It was only after Jake revved the steam engines up again that any of the soldiers seemed to notice that their only means of transport off the island was rapidly disappearing out to sea and then there was a sort of panicked melee on the jetty – one soldier even falling into the water… Bass almost felt embarrassed for the Sergeant ... He also began to feel that he'd seriously over estimated this particular threat; Adam seemed pretty pissed too by the look on his face through the binoculars…

He signalled to Charlie, who flashed him a brilliant grin then tipped her head towards the mess down at the jetty and rolled her eyes – before moving quietly away with June, following the wall to a spot about fifty yards from his current position. Henry rested face up a few feet from Bass, ready to do his bit for the team…

The Patriots eventually got themselves together; Bass figured they'd head up to the General store, aiming to use that as a base for the night, it was getting late now and they didn't seem to be intending to start a search right away, nor had they sent out any scouts. He wondered how any of them had survived this long… Adam was apparently staying with the group though, at least for the time being, he showed no sign of heading out on his own which was lucky for him although Bass wasn't intending any of them to be around for that much longer anyway.

The troop moved up the jetty and the first of them entered the boathouse… Bass held his breath; he just needed one or more of them to touch something… Then suddenly there was a sort of ripple through the fabric of the building and one of the walls buckled in; the roof quickly following on that side along with the remaining walls… Shouts of alarm and bellows of pain erupted from the building and again there seemed to be a general, ineffectual panic amongst the dozen or so soldiers left outside, none of them seemed to have any idea of what to do next. Bass smiled and shook his head in amazement… it had worked even better than he'd imagined…

Adam seemed to realize the need for some leadership, especially as the Sergeant had been inside the building when it collapsed, and Bass watched as the bounty hunter organized the group into search and rescue teams, although he didn't think they'd find many to rescue, the building had been rickety but its mostly timber structure had been very solid once…

Once that was underway, Adam started searching the hillside with his binoculars…Bass noticed his pattern – one sweep to his right then back to centre, one to the left then back…then repeat, and on the second sweep to the left of his next sweep, Bass lifted Henry up so that the top of his head would just be visible, walked him along a few steps, then ducked him down again… He waited for a few moments then signalled to Charlie who did the same with June when he gave her the go sign… They sat back then and Bass gave it a good minute before he chanced another look through the binoculars… He smiled in satisfaction, just as he'd hoped, all the remaining patriots except for two who were helping the couple of men who had been rescued from the collapsed building, were being organised by Adam into two groups, one of five, one of six men, each moving in the directions Bass had planned for them earlier…

Each group seemed to have two ordinary rifles, and he also spotted at least three handguns in each group too… Adam seemed to have a handgun only… the others had swords – sabres and short swords.

Ok…they were almost at his next line of defence… He turned to Charlie and grinned… She smiled back at him and raised June's hand in a wave… Bass heard a yell from down the hill on Charlie's side, so he lifted Henry's arm as well in what looked like a return signal. Another yell rose up the slope - his side this time… They were getting closer, almost to the right spot… He turned to Charlie and lifted his rifle…She gave a thumbs up and took up her own… Bass levelled and aimed, taking a couple of shots at his group, plugging one and winging another… Then Charlie got two out of two and she slanted a grin of pure triumph his way, her eyes meeting his in a blazing stare that he could have sworn was actually solid…he felt his heart pound and his dick throbbing, his jeans suddenly way too tight and he laughed out loud - this was turning into a whole burning heap of fun, and she made him feel alive again in the best fucking way…

The groups of three and four ran for cover… his group finding the pit trap hidden behind nearby rocks almost immediately, falling in with satisfyingly loud yells of dismay, cut off abruptly when the carefully balanced rocks and earth fell onto them… then Charlie's three, which included Adam, panicked and ran for any nearby cover, Bass picked one of them off and Charlie got the other - leaving Adam on his own diving frantically to ground. Bass looked over at Charlie, he didn't really have any qualms about shooting the guy, but he wanted it to be her decision… She looked a little conflicted and Bass understood, it was one thing to shoot someone in the middle of battle, quite another to kill them in cold blood – especially if you knew the guy – just ask Miles…

'Charlie, is that you?' Adam's voice came floating up the hill; he was lying prone behind some low bushes…'Hell, I know it's you, and you're fighting with him? Are you on his side now? What happened to the 'Monroe killed half my family thing…?'

Charlie looked over at Bass…meeting his steady gaze, she grinned…'Things change, Adam' she yelled back over the wall, not showing herself but wanting to see what he'd do if he knew where she was…

'I don't mean you any harm Charlie, I just want Monroe…' He lifted a hand above his head in apparent surrender… 'I'll even split the bounty with you, sixty/forty…. the US guys have put it up to a hundred diamonds Charlie, it's a fucking fortune, what do you say…?'

Charlie yelled back...'He's right here…' then she raised June's head just above the wall… and as she did a shot rang out from Adam's pistol, going straight through the top of June's football head, sending pieces of leather, bits of mop and blue beanie in all directions… Charlie swung round to face Bass, her eyes hard and lips tight, and she nodded…

Bass leaned over the wall and quickly looked for the shot; Adam had just realised his mistake in getting up too high and was diving towards better cover but as he did, Bass's bullet caught him through the chest and he slumped, lying very still. Charlie shot a glance at Bass, and he let out the breath he'd been holding… there wasn't a trace of regret in her eyes…

There was still some cleaning up to do though… Bass looked down to see what the Patriots still on the jetty were up to… The two able bodied men were scrambling for their weapons… They needed to get down there to finish this… he turned to her, 'Charlie?'

Her mouth twisted in a fierce smile… 'I know… we can't let any of them go…' She picked up her rifle and spare ammo clips – her other hand reaching automatically for a crossbow that wasn't there…

Bass noticed… 'We'll get you another one, Charlie' he said, flashing her one of his own wide smiles, gathering his own rifle and checking his swords…

She blew him a kiss…'You say the nicest things, Bass…'

…..

It didn't take them long to finish up the actual fighting… although Bass felt a bit like he was shooting fish in a barrel – even the guys on the jetty put up only a token resistance - but if even one of the Patriots got away to the mainland they'd have a whole platoon down on their heads in no time at all. So they did what they needed to do, Charlie finding a rhythm in fighting alongside Bass that was uncannily like how it had been with Miles although that wasn't really surprising when she thought about how long the two men had fought together, side by side…It was incredible how easily she and Bass seemed to know what the other was thinking, planning...

Jake came back, having watched what happened from the boat through his telescope… and together they retrieved and loaded the bodies of the soldiers who'd fallen on the hillside onto the Celine D, took them out to the deeper water, then dropped them overboard stripped of their uniforms and weighted with stones…

It was far too risky to try to retrieve the bodies of the Patriots who'd been in the boat house when it collapsed, so they made sure there was no one alive in there, piled on the uniforms from the soldiers who'd been buried at sea, poured oil over the whole thing and set it alight…and by that time it was dusk and the flames and smoke rose into the air buffeted by the sea breeze, sparks and flames flying out like shooting stars…

…

Bass and Charlie stood arms round each other, watching the flames as they died down, Henry and the slightly pitiful remains of June on the ground at their feet… They were almost ready to head back to the house. Jake had finally gone, after clapping Bass on the back and shaking his head in amazement at the way things had panned out… He'd invited Bass and Charlie to his house for dinner when they next went to the mainland and had left in very good spirits, especially after Bass gave him a good half of the diamonds and gold they found on the Patriots…

Jake had promised to keep things as quiet as he could, planning to tell people that the Patriots had found the man they were looking for and that he'd taken them to the Mainland via another route…

Charlie had found Adam's gear at the jetty and had quickly removed the bounty sheets relating to Bass before Jake saw them, slipping the papers onto the bonfire… In amongst them though was one that Adam had never shown her when they were travelling together, one that she kept. Charlie didn't know what she wanted to do about that bounty sheet yet… or even if there was anything she could do, they were such a long way from Willoughby, and if Miles couldn't look after her Mom she didn't know that anyone could…

She wrapped her arms more firmly around Bass and he pulled her in closer, his body hard and strong, his clothes smelling of smoke, sweat and gunfire…

…

AN: thanks so much again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this one... I think there will be one more chapter (unless the story tells me otherwise…) Please let me know what you think if you have a moment, cheers, Magpie


	6. Chapter 6

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page)

Rating M…

**Authors note:** I knew I should have kept quiet at the end of the last chapter, because this isn't the end! They wanted to keep going so I hope you will stick with the story for a wee bit longer – I don't know exactly how much longer, but its taking me to parts of the Revo world I've never been to before… so, thanks so much again for reading – and for the lovely reviews and favourites! Oh this chapter's mostly about them celebrating a win in a very Charloe way… Cheers and good wishes, Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… **

**Chapter 6, Littoral**

The cats had greeted them impatiently at the door and darted inside as soon as it opened, running straight past them to the warm kitchen…Bass followed, firing up the range to heat up water for bathing, and putting a chicken he'd killed and dressed that morning into the oven to roast with some root vegetables from the storeroom. Then he and Charlie headed out to see to the outside animals in the rapidly fading light. The goats were still in their paddock although one of the kids had got itself under the fence and had to be firmly – and eventually - persuaded to go back in and join its mother...The eight piglets were luckily all still in their yard and came running up to the gate when they noticed Bass, squealing, playing, shoving each other and behaving so much like bald pink puppies that Charlie almost swore off bacon on the spot…

Bass put his lantern down and bent over the wooden fence to pat them, smiling at the eager, attention seeking piggy faces…'Just don't give 'em names Charlie, ok? No names…'

She chuckled…'But they're so cute…'

He stood up again, pulling her into a hug and she leaned into his warmth, loving the feel of his arms around her, loving the way he'd started to touch her, hug her, whenever he could…

'Jake's got a friend who breeds pigs – he'll be glad to take these little guys and girls…' he leaned down, rubbing his cheek against hers, making her quiver, his scruff tickling and sending little shivers of pleasure down to her belly…'God, you feel good Charlie…' he sniffed her neck, his nose wrinkling…'but holy shit, is that you, me or the pigs…?'

She laughed…'I think the pigs are leaving, Bass…'

He leaned down to pick up the lantern again, keeping his arm around her…'Definitely bath time then…'

….

They were back in the cosy kitchen again, jackets left hanging in the hall, and Charlie had stretched June out on the floor, planning repairs… It was full dark now, the curtains closed against the night and the light of the oil lamps and candles casting little pools around the room that overlapped at intervals, making everything look soft edged and tinged with warm gold… Charlie looked around the room from where she knelt on the floor next to June, her mouth watering; Bass had just come back downstairs from a last sweep of the bay through the telescope and was busy at the range, checking the dinner… the smell of roasting chicken wafted into her nostrils like…well, like the best roast chicken she'd ever smelled…

Bass closed the oven door, stood up and picked up the deep pan of heated water from the cook-top, took it over to the hip bath and poured it in… he swept a hand towards the bath… 'Dinner will be a little while yet, so…Ladies first…'

Charlie stood up, suddenly feeling every one of the aches and pains from the shipwreck and the day's adventures…. She yawned and stretched, the bones of her shoulders popping and cracking…then she kicked off her boots and socks and peeled off her shirt and tank, dropping them in a pile near the door... Bass was standing by the bath, watching her and she smiled at the look of intense concentration in his eyes; it was as though he was memorizing every inch of her…

She crossed her arms and slowly flicked one of her bra straps down over her shoulder, then the other… his eyes followed her hands then rose to her face… She walked slowly over to him, holding his eyes with hers; then she turned around, just within reach… 'Undo me?'

She felt him carefully brush the heavy strands of her hair over one shoulder with one hand, the tips of his fingers trailing across the sensitive skin between her shoulder blades, his other hand going to the clasp of her bra, undoing it in a quick twist... He stroked both hands up to her shoulders then down her arms, taking the bra down too and dropping it to the floor then spreading his fingers out over hers, pressing her hands back onto her hips so that she rested against the hard strength of his body… Then she felt his lips on the uncovered skin of her neck, nibbling and licking his way down to the curve of her shoulder, sending shivers racing through her body… His fingers reached for and deftly undid the buttons of her jeans, sliding them together with her panties down over her hips and thighs, the weight of the fabric, heavy with ingrained dirt and grime from crawling around the hillside as well as the fighting - and the clean up, carrying them down the rest of the way… She stepped out of one leg then the other, kicked them towards the rest of the bundle on the floor and leaned back against him, her head resting back on his shoulder… His hands and arms sliding around her and tightening convulsively, his lips brushing the tender skin at the base of her neck…

Bass took a huge breath in and blew it out downwards to where her nipples were framed by his arms making the skin around them tighten and the nipples peak…'Charlie, do you know what you're doing to me?'

She did, his cock was a hard denim covered ridge behind her, pressing into the top of her ass and her lower back; she leaned back harder into him, wriggling a little and making his breath catch…one of his arms held her against him, while the other hand stroked down her belly to cup her mound, his big fingers spreading around and between her wet folds, brushing softly over her clit, one slipping inside her then out again, and a long, low moan escaped her lips…

He slid his hand back from her pussy, over her hip and spread it down over the cheek of her ass, his fingers gripping the springy flesh… 'I'd love to watch you wash yourself…' he whispered in her ear, his breath stirring the tiny hairs inside, sending goose bumps cascading down her arms…

She turned her head round, tilting it up so she could reach his lips, smiling against them… 'You'll have to do my back…' her clit was pulsing and shining rivers of excitement were running up and down her body at the thought of him watching her, wanting her - and that he would have her…. He was like a storm in her blood and she knew she'd do anything for him…

He chuckled, low in his throat…'whatever you want, Charlie…'

She gently pulled away from him, his hands reluctantly letting her go, sliding over her flesh like heated brands…then she lifted one leg into the bath, the hot water rising up over her skin like heaven itself… balanced herself with one hand on the thigh high rim and lifted her other leg in, standing upright in the gloriously hot water…

Bass handed her a small pail and a cake of soap…'Olive oil, goats milk and lavender…there's a woman who makes this on the mainland…'

Charlie sniffed it appreciatively...'mmm… It's lovely' she put the soap on a flat part of the bath rim, filled the pail, stood and faced Bass, then poured the hot water down over her front… It felt so incredibly, wonderfully good flowing over her skin that she gasped, and quickly filled the pail again, this time pouring the water over her shoulder so it ran down her back and butt, trickling between the cheeks of her ass and down her long, strong legs… She got another pail full, swapped hands and poured it down the other side of her…By this time her body was glistening in the light of the lamps, every curve outlined, light and shadow making her look like something out of one of his fever dreams…

Bass stood staring at her, his lips curving, the tension coiling in his body like the build up to a lightening bolt, the adrenaline and tension built up from the day of preparation, anticipation and fighting focusing itself on this… on her…

She put the pail down on a shelf near the bath and picked up the soap, running it over her breasts, leaving a trail of light suds and bubbles behind, Bass licked his lips and Charlie smiled at him, her tongue running over her own lips, her eyes sparkling… Doing this, for him, was an incredible turn on… She'd never done anything like this before in front of a man… especially a man like Bass… and seeing the effect just watching her was having on him made her feel powerful and very female … His eyes were hot, glazed, and heavy on her, his hand hovering over the ridge of his cock as she moved the soap further down, over her belly down to the curls between her legs…his lips slightly open, the tip of his tongue just visible between them… She thought she'd up the ante a bit and her smile widened into a wicked grin as she slowly swept the soap back up her body in little circles to run it over her breasts…

Bass shook his head; his narrowed eyes promising payback…'Tease…' He flipped open the buttons on his jeans and kicked off his boots… then he shrugged off his shirt and tee and stood there for a moment, the heavy muscles of his chest and abdomen taut, the tight skin of his belly rising and falling with his quickened breath; his shoulders wide and strong, arms ridged, every muscle defined… and the mud stained jeans caught low on his hips, almost, but just not quite fallen low enough for her to see all of him…

Charlie held his gaze, her eyes glinting… then swept the soap down low again, this time running it between her legs and back again, the friction from the soap against her clit making her gasp, her eyes snapping shut…thighs clenching tight to keep her upright… her teeth grabbing at her lower lip as her free hand grabbed for the edge of the bath… God…

'Fuck, Charlie…' he kicked off his jeans and strode over to her, looming, his eyes intent and gleaming out of the shadows of his face… 'You are so fucking hot…' He swung round behind her and his arms slid around her waist… 'Give me the soap…'

She handed it to him…giggling as it nearly slipped out of her hand into the water and he ducked to catch it, his other hand gripping her waist as water splashed around her legs and onto his face…. He laughed, spluttering… wiping his eyes with a forearm and running the soap up over her belly and breasts, covering her in sweet smelling bubbles… Then he turned his attention to her back, his other arm wrapped around her, holding her still, then he rubbed the soap over the flat planes of her shoulder blades, down along her spine and over her buttocks, slipping the soap and his fingers deep between her cleft, lathering her there until a thick layer of froth made her slippery and so horny that she felt that she would burst if he didn't fuck her soon… She could feel his heavy cock, hard and ready, swinging with his movements, a promise against her thighs… 'Bass…?'

He laughed low in his chest…'nearly finished Charlie, sit down and I'll do your hair…

She moaned…rubbing herself back against the velvet hardness of his cock, feeling him gasp and hold very still for a moment… 'Don't want to wait, Bass….' She felt his breath hot and harsh against the back of her neck as he got himself back under some sort of control… and then he put the soap back on the edge of the bath and reached down, one hand sliding that delicious thickness in between the cheeks of her ass…the other sliding down her front, his fingers slipping between her legs, over her clit, tilting her ass up towards him…

'Lean over and hold on to the edges of the bath, Charlie…' his voice buzzed in her ear, low and impatient…

She did, the metal edges hard under her palms…anticipation roiling in her stomach, breath coming fast in panting gasps… He rubbed himself between her legs, the angle letting him almost, almost slide into her opening and then slip on past, sliding over her clit then pulling back over and starting over until she was nearly screaming with wanting him…

He laughed, a low, satisfied and completely, utterly male sound behind her…. keeping his cock moving backwards and forwards in small, teasing movements between the cheeks of her ass while the hand not moving between her legs from the front, rubbing her clit, slid up along her side to caress her breasts… sliding over one then the other… his thumb and fingers pinching her nipples until they buzzed and stood buttoned out…

Charlie was completely lost in sensation… every part of her tingling and ready… her clit throbbing so hard that she was panting in time with it… and when he finally slid into her, his wide cock stretching her out and filling her up, again and again and again… she couldn't stop herself screaming out her pleasure, and she held herself up with her hands on the sides of the bath while he plunged in and out of her, his tall body bent over hers, his hands alongside hers, her ass lifted as high as she could to get as much of him as she could…the bathwater splashing around them and erupting in sparkling geysers onto the flagstone floor going totally unnoticed…except by the two cats who were curled up together in a black, white and ginger pile on the chair nearest the warmth of the range, watching the goings on of the humans in the room with the remote tolerance of a superior race.

…

Charlie came back to herself slumped on top of Bass, who was curved along the bottom of the bath with his knees over one side, his back against the other and his chest and lower body her cushion. Her head was pillowed on his shoulder and her legs curled together over his thighs… There was very little water left in the bath and what there was of it was rapidly cooling down…she was feeling the cold despite the warmth of the room and the smell of roasted chicken floating across to her nose made her suddenly ravenous… 'Bass…?'

'hmmm?'

'Are you hungry…?'

He woke up all at once….'Fuck… The chicken…' he tried to get up but slid back down further, Charlie sliding with him, their arms and legs tangling together, with both of them too slippery to get any purchase on the sides of the bath or on each other… 'Charlie… shit…stay still for a minute, ok…?'

Charlie couldn't speak, helpless laughter making her totally unable to concentrate on anything…

Eventually though they were both out of the bath, wrapped in the towelling robes Bass had rescued from one of the houses on the island, clean and smelling of soap rather than hillside, and eating…

Charlie sighed and leaned back in her chair, toying with a clean picked chicken bone…. She hadn't felt this full and generally all over good in…well she couldn't actually remember ever feeling this full and this good at the same time… 'I could so get used to living like this, Bass…'

Bass looked up from cleaning scraps from the chicken carcass for the two eager felines wrapping themselves around his ankles in a kind of purring Mobius strip cat dance of anticipation… 'Yeah… me too…' He sighed… 'I reckon we've got a couple of weeks, maybe a little more? And then someone somewhere will figure out that they're down a troop of losers and come over here looking for them…'

Charlie leaned forward…'Bass, I'm sorry….'

He looked over the table at her, his eyes softly blue, the lamplight playing with the water darkened curls of his hair and beard…'Hey, don't be sorry…' he piled the scraps onto two plates then bent down to put them on the floor, the cats swarming over them, 'someone was bound to find me sooner or later, I'm just glad it was you…' He got up again, moved round the table to sit on the chair next to her then leaned over kissing her with a gentle sweetness that brought bright tears to her eyes… He wiped them away with a finger…'don't, Charlie…we'll make the best of things while we can and just get ready to leave in a hurry if we have to…' He looked into her eyes…'unless you want to go sooner…'

She smiled, understanding his insecurity now; she knew that he was just making sure… making sure that she still wanted him, giving her an out… 'Bass, I don't want to go sooner, I want to stay here with you… and then I want to leave with you if you say we have to go….'

His eyes lit up and he nodded…'Good… that's good…' He took a deep breath…'I don't know what the Patriots are planning Charlie, I do know that I've got a bad feeling about them though, there seems to be more and more of them around lately…' he took her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the fingers…'This time we got lucky, next time…?' he glanced at the map of the island and the bay, folded neatly at the end of the table… 'Next time they'll send some real soldiers…'

Charlie frowned…'you're that sure?'

He nodded…'Oh yeah, if they're serious about taking over they can't afford to have people just offing their troops willy-nilly without serious payback…'

Charlie sighed…'Ok… then I need to show you something…' she gently took her hand out of his and stood up, going over to the jacket hanging up just outside the door and getting the bounty sheet out of the inside pocket. She walked back into the kitchen, unfolding it as she went. Bass looked at the paper, then met her eyes, curiosity and concern in his gaze… she sat down on her chair again and spread it on the table, bringing one of the lamps closer so he could see better…

'Shit… they know about your Mom, Charlie…' his eyes went a hard, shadowed blue…'that prick, Randall Flynn… He was your Mom's boss at the DoD wasn't he? And he said he was a Patriot, and the Patriots set off the bombs to wipe out the Republic and Georgia, so of course they know about Rachael…' he stood up, pacing around the room…'But why do they want her now? The power's gone for good…isn't it…?' he turned to Charlie…'Charlie, is Aaron…Pittman? Yeah, is he still with your Mom?'

She nodded…'He was when I left, and Miles too…' she took a deep breath… ''Bass, they're in Texas, in Willoughby, with my Grandpa… Mom was really sick, you know, after the bombs… and we, I mean, Miles thought that Grandpa could help her….'

He stopped pacing…'they're in Texas? Texas is big…strong…' he came back over to the table 'they should be ok there, Charlie, at least for a while…' He sat down, taking her hand again…looking into her eyes…'Listen to me Charlie, the Patriots would have to be very, very, sure of themselves to take on something like Texas… so your Mom should be ok, especially if she's got Miles, and your Grandpa…' He brought his other hand up, cradling hers in both of his… 'And I'm sorry to hear that Rachael was sick too. Things were always… difficult… between her and me, but I'm sorry for your sake…'

Charlie found herself tearing up again…things were always – difficult – between her and her Mom too, but she had still found it very hard to deal with seeing her the way she was after the Tower… she nodded again…'Thanks…'

Bass studied the poster…'I wish there was a way of sending a message though… warning them…' he let go of her hand, his fingers tapping restlessly on the table top, 'I'd heard that Texas had started up something like the old Pony express - if we could get to the Texas border I could maybe send something through to Miles…'

Charlie frowned…'the pony what…?'

He grinned…'the Pony Express, Charlie' he shrugged…'like a courier service – people pay for riders to carry messages between towns…'

Her eyebrows rose…'oh…'

Bass watched her intently…'Charlie, Texas is weeks away by wagon or on horseback…' he took her hand again… 'But it's only about half that if we go by sea…'

She stared at him, memories of her own brief experience as a sailor far from good ones… 'We'd have to go past Philadelphia, Bass…'

He nodded… his face grim, eyes suddenly haunted…'Yeah, I know, so I think we should talk to Jake first… see if he has any suggestions? We could tell him we're looking for your family; he'd be fine with that… he'll be expecting us to head out soon anyway, after today…'

Charlie thought it through… If they had to leave the island soon anyway, they might as well do something worthwhile… She nodded…'Ok, let's go talk to Jake...tomorrow…' she got up and stood in front of him, bent down to put her hands on his knees and leaned in to kiss him, long and deep…'Tonight we've got other plans…'

….

AN: … sigh… I'm really sorry they have to leave the island too… but sooner or later the big bad would have come for them there too… so, off they go again – into a different sort of adventure…

I'm really enjoying writing this story and I hope you'll keep on enjoying it too… cheers, Magpie


	7. Chapter 7

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page)

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Thanks so much again for reading – and for the lovely reviews and favourites! I decided that I couldn't bear to have them leave the island so suddenly so…I hope you like this. I was worried about the kittens too, Sparrowhawke (I don't think I could just leave mine) and there is also a little bit in here for my lovely friend in another land, LoveForTheStory… you'll know where it is when you get there, Love – hope you like it… Cheers, good wishes and hope to see you at another story! Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… **

**Chapter 7, Beachhead**

It was lunchtime and the warm late summer sun was shining in through the wide sash windows on the seaward side of Jake's house in Stonington. Through the windows, there was a picture postcard view of the harbour with its brightly painted boats swaying at their mooring, people noisily thronging around the market stalls lined up along the crescent of the town, seagulls swooping and soaring between the cliffs that guarded the bay, flocking round the busy seashore and further out still was the wide blue grey green of the ocean with its distant hazy glimpses of the islands of Penobscot Bay…

Charlie sat back on her chair and sighed...totally, wonderfully full again although this time it was lobster and potatoes fried in duck fat with steamed greens on the side, followed by two big slices of glorious blueberry pie served with clotted cream… She held up a hand, admitting defeat…'Rosie, I swear that was the best pie I've ever eaten, but if I have any more right now I'll explode' she looked over, her eyes dancing, at Jake, sitting at the other end of the table smiling proudly at the praise for his wife's cooking… 'and I don't know how Jake isn't the size of a house if you eat like this all the time…'

Rosie, a pretty, dark haired, slender and energetic woman in her late forties, smiled back, her dark eyes crinkling at the corners…'Why thank you Charlie, I like to cook, and Jake and the boys keep on eating so we're all happy…'

Bass leaned forward, wearing his most charming grin; his eyes a gleaming, startling blue…'I would love another piece of pie, Rosie, if it'll help make you happy…?'

Charlie kicked him under the table…'Hey, eyes too big - you've had three pieces already'

He looked pained…'Ow… I'm just helping out here Charlie, it'd be a sin not to have another piece of a pie as good as that one...'

Rosie laughed, a slight blush colouring her cheeks…'It is a good one, even if I do say so myself… ' She reached over for the plate he was holding out in hopes and turned her smiling gaze on Charlie… 'We had a wonderful harvest last year Charlie and I've got lots of goodies put away in jars in the larder, fine flour's the hard thing to get though' and she turned to her husband, 'When's Hannah planning to get the mill going again, Jake?'

Jake worked at swallowing his own mouthful, 'She said the other day that it'd be another couple of months before everything was back up and running thanks to those Patriot bastards' he looked over at Bass, his dark eyes hard and angry…'A bunch of them came through here a couple of months ago, recruiting…' he picked up his glass, drained it then put it down again with a thump…'At least that's what they called it anyway… didn't give no one no choice though,'

He poured himself another measure of the potent local vodka he had brought out to go with the meal, staring out the window…'They went marching up to the Mill, took Hannah's three eldest, and wrecked the place when she tried to stop them… The bastards raided three more homesteads, took half a dozen other kids then headed off before any of us here in town could get out there to help' he sighed….'we don't know where they took the kids and no one's heard from any of them since…'

Charlie felt his frustration and anger and when she looked over at Bass and met his eyes, they were the icy blue of glaciers and she knew he did too…

Bass turned to Jake 'What happened when you went looking for them?'

Rosie sat down next to Jake and poured herself a drink…'Jake and some of the others went after them but lost the trail after a week…'

Jake nodded… 'Bastards met up with a bigger band then they split up, weren't enough of us to follow and we couldn't do anything against so many of them' he shook his head…'didn't know what to do anyway, none of us are trained soldiers…'

Rosie put a hand on his arm and squeezed…'you tried Hon…' she took a long breath… 'Hannah wrote some letters to that man who calls himself President…President Davis? Asking about the kids…. sent them down with one of the trading wagons heading towards Washington' She snorted and took a sip from her glass, then swirled the colourless liquid around before draining the rest…'Seems like this Davis has gone and got himself nicely settled in the White House…thinks that he's the real President, although no one I know elected him...' she sighed… 'Anyway, Hannah hasn't heard anything back yet, we've heard rumours of training camps…' she shook her head and looked across the table at Bass and Charlie…'but no one knows where they are exactly or which one of them our kids would be at…and frankly we don't know what else we can do, at least for the moment…'

Jake leaned back in his chair, the wooden feet of the chair scraping on the flagstone floor…'So, you'll understand why the Patriots are pretty unpopular around these parts, Jimmy; and why I was more than happy to help your friend out when that little troop of khaki coloured misfits came looking for him…' he smiled, his eyes steady and calm as he gazed at Bass and Charlie…

Bass nodded…he understood Jake keeping the fact to himself that it was him they were after, it would be some protection for Rosie if anyone else came asking…'I know he'd want me to thank you Jake – and if there's anything I can do to repay you on his behalf, you only have to ask…'

Jake nodded approvingly and raised his glass again…'Good neighbours are a fine thing to have, Jimmy, and we try to look out for each other up here…' he cleared his throat…'and there is something I wanted to talk to you about…' he leaned forward, the broad, work roughened fingers of one hand absently straightening his placemat... 'I think you know that I'm Mayor of this town, and, well, me and the town council have been talking a little, and we're wondering if maybe you'd consider, you know not minding being on your own and all' he tipped the glass towards Charlie…'well, alone until recently that is', Charlie felt her cheeks pink up and he smiled at her, his dark eyes kind…

Then he turned to face Bass again…'And seeing as how you're out there on the island anyway, we were wondering if you'd think about taking over the running of the lighthouse?' He sat up straight, his craggy, weather-beaten face still handsome, his muscular frame reassuring and solid in thick jumper and dungarees…'It would be a great benefit to all of us around here… we could stay out later, sail safer in rough weather…' he glanced across at Rosie who smiled and nodded, then turned back to Bass… 'We figure we can set up an oil burner the way they used to in the old days…and we can pay, the job's worth good money to us…'

Bass hesitated…'That's a great offer, Jake…,'

He felt Charlie's foot nudge him under the table and then she was looking right at him, her eyes wide, and he didn't quite dare to dream it but she almost seemed hopeful? And damn if he wasn't tempted right then and there to say yes…but…

He sucked a breath in and turned back to Jake, 'I'm worried that the Patriots might send more troops this way though, real ones this time… looking for my friend and their missing soldiers' he caught up Charlie's hand, stroking the back with his thumb…'and Charlie's got some family down in Texas, so we thought we should head down there… Try and get a message to Charlie's family once we got to the border… Maybe hook up with them somehow…'

He felt Charlie's hand tense on his but he ploughed on…'so we decided to ask you if you thought it'd be possible to get there by sea, it'd be a hell of a lot quicker than on a wagon…'

Jake whistled softly through his teeth, his brows knotted together…'It's hard to say for sure Jimmy, no one I know of round here sails anywhere near Philly these days, from this side anyway… It's still too soon after the bombs; the fallout's real bad, unpredictable…fish and stuff still floating up, birds won't even go there… and you'd have to go a hell of a long way out into deep water to have a chance of going round it. And the weathers getting worse by the day from now on with winter coming…' he looked at Rosie who nodded, her eyes worried… 'The trip overland would take you months, and isn't really what you'd call safe…but I think you'd be much better off going that way, if you've gotta go…and I must admit we'd all be sorry to see you go, both of you…'

Rosie nodded 'You seem like really good people, both of you - and having someone at the lighthouse would be so good for everyone round here' she smiled at Bass…'I heard what you did for the folks that passed away on the island...that was real nice of you, very respectful, burying them and finding out their names and all…'

Charlie glanced up at Bass, her eyes soft and wondering….

He was quiet for a moment… 'Thank you, Jake, Rosie… I promise that we'll talk about it, and let you know as soon as we can' he grinned…'and I've got to admit the lighthouse gig does sound pretty tempting…'

Jake smiled… a slow, wise smile…'Glad you think so…' he reached over the table and picked up the bottle of vodka, pouring a measure out for each of them… 'Because just between you and me…I don't think we need to worry too much about those Patriot bastards organizing themselves to come all the way up here again after your friend, or stealing more of our kids… not for much longer anyway… But it's funny you should mention Texas…' he took a sip from his glass and tipped it towards Bass… 'The way I hear it, and I'm inclined to believe what I hear after seeing the rabble that supposedly came to capture your friend' he winked…' the damn khaki bastards are going to be much too busy to bother much about a few missing soldiers or your friend, no matter who he happened to be…'

Bass narrowed his eyes, curious…'what do you mean…?'

Jake drained his glass… then thumped it on the table top…'I mean a few weeks ago Texas declared war on the Patriots, that's what I mean…' he grinned…'and you want to know what else?'

Charlie nodded, her eyes wide, Bass looked intrigued…

Jake leaned forwards, over the table…'Texas have got Miles Matheson fighting for 'em; General Matheson himself… and they're whomping Patriots left right and centre - and they've got people from all around lining up to join in too…' He got up from the table…'Here, I'll show you…just arrived yesterday, a courier brought a few of them, they're riding around, spreading the word round the country…' he hurried over to a bookshelf in a corner of the room, sorting through some papers stacked tidily on a middle shelf…'where is it now…' then he made a satisfied sound and turned back to the table…'here you go…' he put a slim sheet of folded, roughly printed newsprint down with a flourish on the table in front of Bass and Charlie…

Charlie straightened the paper out…her eyes gleaming…'Texas declares war on Patriot menace' she read, excitement singing in her voice' she grinned at Bass then carried on reading…'General Blanchard…'

Bass did a double take and tried to take the paper away from Charlie…'Blanchard…? that randy old goat? What happened to Carver…?

Charlie held it away from him, frowning…'Hey… careful Jimmy, you'll tear it… I'll tell you what happened if you let me finish…'

Bass sat back, a little disgruntled, and Charlie smirked, neither of them noticing the look of amused tolerance that passed between Jake and Rosie…

She flattened the pages again and cleared her throat...'General Blanchard, newly elected President of the Sovereign state of Texas following the brutal assassination of the late, great General Carver by Patriot spies, swears to hang the imposter Jack Davis from his own flagpole…' She turned the page over and sat silent for a moment… looking at the photo printed at the top, and continued, her voice a little more subdued… 'President Blanchard has appointed General Miles Matheson, pictured above…' Charlie reached out a finger and gently traced round the familiar face…then she looked up at Bass, her eyes swimming, holding the paper out for him to take…

He took it from her, his fingers gentle…and she breathed in deep, blinking rapidly…'

Bass read, his voice clear and confident…'President Blanchard has appointed General Miles Matheson, pictured above…' he paused and grinned at the picture…'he looks like he's got a stick up his ass, Charlie…' she glared at him, indignant, and he chuckled…'as Commander in Chief of the Texas forces following the exoneration of both Generals Matheson and Monroe' an eyebrow went up… 'formally of the Monroe Republic, from any blame in regards to the heinous and wanton destruction of Atlanta and Philadelphia, now known to have been orchestrated by the enemy led by the pretender Jack Davis….' he rested the paper on the table…shaking his head…'Well, if that doesn't take the cake…'

Charlie turned shining eyes up to Bass, a wide grin curving her lips…

He continued reading…'Texas forces have so far driven Patriot troops northwards as far as Chicago, ably assisted by survivors from both Georgia and Monroe Republic forces along with our new allies from Mexico and California' he laughed…'I don't fucking believe it… Blanchard's got them all fighting the patriots instead of each other, how the hell did he do that…?' he kept reading…'Our combined forces are utilizing new technology developed by scientists loyal to the freedom movement with great success. This new technology exposes and immobilizes Patriot sympathisers greatly reducing our casualties…'

He glanced at Charlie who gave him a small shrug and a shake of her head…

'Plans are currently underway to advance on and liberate Washington itself. More news to follow as it comes in …' Bass put the paper down…'I don't know how, but it sounds like this is really happening, incredible…' he sat for a moment, then looked at Jake, his eyes serious…'Its great news, the best, but there'll be Patriot deserters and some of them are bound to head this way…'

The older man nodded…'figured that… in fact I wouldn't be surprised if our recent visitors weren't some of them' he leaned forward, serious… 'And from what I saw yesterday you both know what you're doing in a fight – so if you did decide to stay for a bit longer I was wondering if you'd consider helping us set up some defensive plans and give us some training us so that we'll have a bit more of a fighting chance…' he looked from Bass to Charlie…'we could pay you for that too…'

Bass looked at Charlie, a question in his eyes,

She nodded, still amazed by what they'd read, still waiting for it to sink in…'I.. I know I'd like to stay, if Jimmy is too, and I'd be happy to help out…'

Bass smiled again, took her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed her fingers…'Ok, so yes, we'll stay on for a while, it isn't a good time to travel while all this is going on anyway and I'd be more than happy to train with you as thanks for helping us out yesterday' then he gave Jake and Rosie one of his wide grins… 'I've always wondered what it'd be like to be a lighthouse keeper - what's the going rate…?'

…..

By the time Bass and Charlie got back to the island the light was fading towards dusk and it was a race to get the boat secured, make the trek back to the house from Duck Harbor and take care of the animals before full dark set in, but eventually they were back in the now familiar warm kitchen, eating fried eggs with some real bread and butter from the mainland… Rosie had given them the rest of the blueberry pie to take with them too – a good third of it left from lunch, and Charlie was sitting at the table next to Bass, finishing a slice, yawning and barely able to keep her eyes open… The cats were curled up on their seat near the range after having accepted and inhaled some lobster scraps that Bass had brought back for them and he was just eyeing off the last, small piece of pie …

Charlie chuckled…'if you eat any more of that you'll turn blue and get fat…'

He laughed softly…'would you mind?'

'No, I like blue and…' she yawned again and stretched…then turned and gave him a sultry smile…'I can think of some nice ways to stop you getting fat…'

Bass grinned…and reached out for the pie… 'That's ok then…' he took a bite…'Did you know that Miles tried to have Blanchard killed once Charlie? And Blanchard knew it too… I'd love to know how he suddenly became his right hand man…'

Charlie yawned again…'Miles didn't really talk about things much, I'm just glad we don't have to go rushing off… I love it here, Bass…' then she frowned a little 'I wonder what Mom and Aaron have invented this time…?'

Bass yawned in sympathy…'As long as they keep fucking up the Patriots and don't do something drastic like turn all the world's whisky into water I don't really care what their little robots are doing … but I guess we'll find out after they get to Washington and we get all reunited…'

'You've been exonerated, Bass…you could go back now, be a General too…'

He lifted an eyebrow 'is this a test or something?

She looked towards him, her eyes shadowed…'I was just wondering…'

He stood up and came up behind her, his arms sliding around and holding her close against him…she leaned back and he just enjoyed the feel of her against him for a long moment, 'I think I've found out what makes me happy, Charlie…and believe me it isn't being a General…'But are you sure you're happy about staying with me?'

She turned around and stretched her arms up around his neck…running her fingers through his salt stiffened curls, and gazing into his blue, blue eyes… 'Well, it sounds like Miles and my Mom are doing fine without any help from us, the Patriots are going to be much too busy to come searching for you and even if they do, we've got friends now, and a job, and a whole island… The only problem I can see is that I'm going to have to remember to call you Jimmy, for now anyway…' she pulled his head down so she could reach his lips… 'So yeah, I'm sure…' she smiled against them, then pulled back a little, her eyes full of promises… 'and Bass… Jake and the guys aren't coming to get the light sorted out till the day after tomorrow, so we've got the whole of tomorrow to ourselves… We could go for a picnic on the beach…' she yawned again…'but right now I would really, really like to go to bed'

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear…'Sounds perfect to me Charlie…' then his lips touched hers and he could taste the sea on them… Then he lifted her up into his arms and carried her, both of them laughing, Charlie holding on to Bass with one arm, the other holding the banister, her legs locked around his waist, Bass leaning against the wall… as they dizzily climbed the stairs leading up to the moonlit room that had somehow become theirs…

…..

The next day, a couple of hours after dawn, the morning was crisp and sunny, promising warmth soon… Small clouds were scudding away from the sun through a clear, peacock blue sky, a light swell sending white horses dancing onto the shore as they made their way down from the tunnel below the house to the same beach where Bass had found Charlie washed up like flotsam after the storm wrecked her boat and everything had changed…

Bass set out a blanket in the shelter of a horseshoe of large boulders on one of the small ribbons of sandy beach dotted between long stretches of rocks, pebbles, shells and seaweed brought up by the tide. Safely out of the wind, the sand was warming up with the sun and the air was full of the smell of the sea…

Charlie put their breakfast basket down next to the blanket, stretched her arms out wide and took a deep, delicious breath of the salt air…'This is so fucking good…' she yelled into the wind, spinning around and running at a flock of seagulls searching for tidbits at the waters edge, startling them into noisy and indignant flight… Then she turned and ran back up the beach, her bare feet sinking into the sand, to fall to her knees on the blanket where Bass was already lounging, watching her, a smile curving his lips and crinkling the corners of his eyes…

Breakfast was the rest of the bread from the day before, with butter and soft-boiled eggs gathered fresh that morning, with some peas and leafy greens from the garden and a couple of bottles of home brewed beer from the mainland. Afterwards, they lay there together for a while on the blanket, Bass curved on his side, Charlie leaning back against the muscled warmth of his chest, lazily watching the waves come in and go out…it was peaceful but at the same time full of a rhythm and energy that was exhilarating and hugely powerful…

Charlie sighed in contentment and leaned her head back to find Bass gazing down at her, his eyes like pieces of the sky… She smiled up at him, 'feel like a swim…?'

He eased her back down onto the blanket, running his fingers along the soft skin of her neck and down the front of her tank top….'we'll have to go skinny…'

She licked her lips 'So…? There's no one around but the seagulls…' She reached up, brought his head down for a kiss then sat up, slipping her shirt off and dropping it on the sand, kicking her boots off… her tank top was next but she took that off slowly, watching Bass watching her, his eyes starting to burn, intense, darkening… she wasn't wearing a bra so as the top passed over her nipples she did a little shimmy, making them dance, before pulling the top the rest of the way over her head, flicking her hair back to get it out of the straps…

Bass laughed… a low happy sound…then licked his fingers, reaching across to run them over her nipples, making them tremble to a peak as the wind touched the dampness left behind…

She shivered, loving the tingle…licking her lips…'Your turn Bass…'

He curled up onto his knees and took off his shirt, the tee underneath tight enough to outline the taut, heavy muscles underneath…

Charlie leaned forward, keeping his eyes on hers…and caught the hem, sliding the fabric upwards over his chest…smoothing his arms upwards and rubbing herself along the smooth flesh and light hair of his chest until his arms were stretched above her and her lips were level with his…she pressed the lightest of kisses on his mouth then stood up in one lithe movement taking the tee with her.

He brought his arms down and circled her waist, pulling her close, breathing in the scent of her warm body mixed with the salt spray in the wind, finding her belly button and kissing his way around it, making her moan and laugh helplessly, her stomach muscles clenching… He brought a hand around and undid the buttons of her jeans, sliding the worn fabric down over the rounded hips and smooth thighs, finding her bare underneath… she lifted one foot then the other until her jeans lay in a small blue tumbled pile… She smiled down at him and he rubbed his scruff against the sensitive skin of her belly, raising goosebumps up and down her arms, her clit pulsing and moisture surging between her legs.

Bass reached up, pressing kisses to the underside of each breast 'Fuck, you'd make a gorgeous mermaid Charlie…' He stood, his cock already straining at the front of his jeans…

Charlie ran her fingers up and down the hard length of him…pressing close for a moment, then she turned and ran down the sand towards the waves…calling back to him, her eyes gleaming blue over her shoulder…her voice came back to him on the wind…'Race you in, Bass…'

'Shit, not fair, Charlie…' he called out, laughing, then he quickly undid his jeans buttons, stripped them off and ran after her, catching up quickly with his longer strides and joining her in splashing through the sandy shallows into the deeper water, diving into waves, catching glimpses of her long legs, slanted blue eyes and honey gold hair through liquid blue, white and sea green, catching hold of her wet, sea cold body and having her slip, laughing and spluttering out of his arms then back in again as he chased her through the waves…

Charlie caught hold of him as he appeared like some sea god surging out of the waves in front of her… his wide grin and bright blue eyes, wild wet curls and tall, wet, beautifully muscled body hard and slippery against her…the hair on his body rough like seaweed against her skin, his cock, hard and velvety seeking her out…

He caught hold of her and lifted her up into his arms… her legs circling his hips, holding her up against him while he surged back up into the shallows…falling to his knees with her still in his arms then leaning her back against the sand, both of them laughing at the feel of the sea trying to drag them both back in then pushing them up again with the next wave…

Bass ran his hand down between her legs…his fingers playing between her folds, finding her own pooling waves wet and slippery to his touch, he looked down at her, his eyes so intense that she thought she could drown in them…his body arching over hers like a wet dream…'from here to eternity, Charlie…'

She gazed up at him…'that's beautiful, Bass..'

He kissed her then drew back a little, his breath warm on her face…'It's from an old movie, but I never knew what it meant 'til now…' then suddenly the thick head of his cock was at her entrance…hot and hard and thick…

Charlie tipped her hips to let him in, wrapped her legs round him and then he surged deep into her, stretching her out, tight around him in a delicious rush of sensation…the waves pushing him further in to her, carrying them together up through the sand until it felt like the earth was turning beneath them … then holding them there for an endless moment while the sea held its breath, then there was the rushing back out… the sand rustling and bubbling beneath the skin of her back and ass, pulling them back into the sea with gentle inexorable fingers…her hair like golden strands of sea weed in the sun… Charlie let her arms trail above her head, her eyes half closed against the glare of the sun…Bass holding her hands, kissing her breasts, as they moved back and forth with the waves…the sun warm above, the water bubbling and hissing through the sand under their bodies, the shallows warm and flowing over them like a benediction…

Bass began to move faster, increasing the friction between them, Charlie's legs holding him tighter, moving with him, her feet pressing against the muscled roundness of his ass and the long, ridged muscles of his thighs… wavelets splashing in small geysers between their bodies, their own tides rising, breath coming in gasps and panting surges as the sea moved them in and out, in and out until she couldn't tell the difference between their joined bodies and the sea…

Charlie felt the change in his rhythm and knew he was close…then he stopped moving, his breath fast and heavy…'Don't stop Bass… stay, if you want to….' she held onto him, holding him inside, her hands framing his face…

He went very still…'Charlie… there isn't anything I want more…but you need to be sure… ' His eyes burned down into hers… so much in their depths… hope, desire, love…

The waves seemed to go quiet… or she thought they did…and everything seemed still, waiting, as she met his gaze with her own…'I know that I've been happier these last few days than I can ever remember Bass… It feels right to be here, with you…' she smiled up at him…'and if we were lucky enough to make a baby…this would be a good place, and I think you'd be a great father…' her eyes were serious as they met his… 'you're a good man Bass Monroe, I know that, I've seen it… you're strong and capable and a whole lot of fun…' the smile widened…'and I think we'd have really pretty kids…'

He laughed…then he leaned down and kissed her, his lips warm and gentle…'you are amazing, Charlie Matheson, and yeah, I think we'd have really pretty kids, especially if they looked like you…' He pulled almost out of her then surged all the way back in, holding himself in her, the soft hair covered globes of his balls against her ass… his arms holding her close, her legs wrapped around him, the waves gently rocking them both, and with his lips close to her ear he whispered… 'So where were we?'

Charlie nuzzled his shoulder, moving her hips against him, her clit pulsing as another wave pushed them deep into each other… 'Almost there, Bass...'

….

AN: well, I hope you liked that I gave them their island, and let them know that everyone was doing ok without them – so they could just think about themselves and what they wanted…sigh… Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this one so a big thank you to The Good Ship Charloe for leaving that lovely prompt for me to find… Cheers, and hope to see you at the next story! Magpie


	8. Chapter 8

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page)

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Hi there, and thanks so much for reading – and for sticking with me through such a long gap between updates. A couple of lovely people asked about an epilogue for this story, so I thought I'd read it again and see if one came to mind… You know who you are and I really hope you like this, it segues into the comic – although diverges quickly into something else entirely, Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… **

**Chapter 8, what the tide brings in…**

'Mommeee...boat's coming…'

'Over here, sweetheart' Charlie called out, looking up from collecting the eggs from the nesting boxes in the chicken coop… smiling as she saw her son coming full tilt towards her from the house… Bouncing as much as running, he had just turned three and everything was full on or full stop… His robust little body glowed with energy, his cheeks pink, eyes bright and he was rugged up for the cool autumn air in a thick, earth coloured jumper (Charlie's first go at dying and knitting with their own wool…), rolled up jeans and boots…

Bass came running up behind the small figure, muscular and lean in his old leather jacket and favourite jeans, scooping their son up and swinging him round and up onto his shoulders; the tumbling dark blond curls of the little boy glowing in the bright morning sun as he giggled in delight, the sound a light counterpoint to his father's deeper laugh… 'They're about two hours out, Charlie…' Bass turned his head so he could look up into the bright blue eyes in the beaming face above him…'we saw them through the telescope didn't we, Ben…?'

Ben grabbed Bass' ears…'I'm skipper, daddy…'

Bass made a hoot like a ships fog horn and sailed round in a circle… Ben squealing in delight…

Charlie brought the basket of eggs out of the chicken run, balancing her other burden carefully… Bass had rigged up a sort of papoose carrier for their little girl and bright, limpid blue eyes gazed peacefully up at her out of the wrappings slung around her mom's shoulders… Charlie reached out a finger and gently wiggled the little button nose in the small, innocently smiling face… 'Did you hear that Alice? Your granddaddy's going to be here soon to meet you…' She caught Bass' eyes as he sailed closer, hers brimming with laughter… 'Miles is so not going to like being called Granddaddy...'

The news that her uncle Miles was actually her biological father had hit Charlie between the eyes when she first found out but it somehow seemed to make sense, Bass was always telling her how much she was like him… She still thought of Ben as her dad though, and didn't know how she'd go calling Miles anything but, well Miles…although she loved him just as much whatever he was; she sighed, smiling… somehow he'd survived the war against the Patriots – and the awful Nano stuff, and she was so, so grateful…

The Bass and Ben sailing ship reached her harbour at last and Bass took the basket of eggs from her hands, somehow balancing it and holding Ben up at the same time… 'He'll just have to cope won't he, after all he's the President of the New United States; he's gotta get used to being called much worse than grandad…' He reached across to drop a kiss on her lips then down to put another, softer, on Alice's forehead, Ben's giggling face high above them both… 'Hello again to the two most beautiful girls on the island…'

Charlie grinned up at her two favourite men in the whole world…'We're the only girls on the island until the new settlers arrive, Bass, unless you count the goats and the pigs, oh and the chickens…'

He laughed again, bouncing Ben up and down, then swinging him down to the ground with one hand, the other still holding the basket of eggs, he leaned close again, his eyes serious for a moment…'You'll still be the most beautiful girl on the island, Charlie, no matter how many of them come…' His lips found hers in a long, hard kiss that was suddenly interrupted by one of Alice's small fists connecting hard with his Adams apple…

Bass pulled back a little and laughed down at his excited daughter, catching one of the flailing fists in his own hand… 'Hey… gently does it, sweet pea…'

Alice lay still, her little fingers circling his thumb, gazing steadily and intently up at him with those lovely blue eyes… then her full, pink lips parted and she let out one of the ear piercing squeals she'd only recently discovered were part of her repertoire… Bass laughed again, wincing…

'We could always hire her out as a fog horn, Bass' Charlie grinned and tucked the little, wriggling form up a bit more firmly in the wrap, making sure the tiny fingers weren't getting too cold… her breasts prickling as her milk got ready to go…

He nodded 'Or a drill sergeant; that's a pretty impressive set of lungs…' he narrowed his eyes and studied the small, lovely and suspiciously quiet face, imagining a triumphant gleam in the big blue eyes… 'Was Ben ever as loud as that…?'

Meanwhile Ben had found the pig's scraps, upturned the bucket and was stomping on the contents, his sturdy boots splashing gooey stuff satisfyingly everywhere…

Charlie's mouth dropped open and she tried not to laugh…'Oh, Ben…'

Bass shook his head, lips twitching but his voice was solemn…'Ben, buddy… that's the little pigs breakfast and we only just got you cleaned up to meet all the people on the boat…' he gave the egg basket back to Charlie with a grin, then went to retrieve his now grimy but son...

Charlie watched as Bass gently but firmly took charge of their little barbarian, first getting him to put the remaining scraps back in the bucket with a little spade and helping him carry it over to the latest crop of eager piglets, then leading him back into the house to wash up again, stroking a hand down her hair and dropping a kiss on the top of her head as he went past...

She smiled as she and Alice followed the two of them inside. Bass was as good at being a father as he seemed to be at almost everything else… Patient and caring, he laughed often, did his fair share of things like changing nappies and the endless washing – in fact he was in the middle of building a mechanical washing machine, something that Charlie thought was a marvel… She couldn't remember the electrical ones… but anything that would help with that particular chore was a Godsend… He had a great imagination and could find ways of sorting even the knottiest problems out… He was energetic and practical… In fact the two of them made a damn good team…

He also seemed to be looking younger, she mused… the lines from years of stress easing from his face. He'd started to sing a lot too, songs she was learning as well, still slightly amazed to find that she had a good voice... They'd even started performing together at the monthly community concerts in Stonington; Bass playing along with them on a guitar he'd picked up from a travelling trader…

A few years ago she'd never have believed that the Sebastian Monroe she thought she'd known would be satisfied with the simple life they had made here, but he was; he loved it, loved them… and he showed it every minute of every day… She loved their life too, loved him and their babies and it was getting harder to remember the desperate and harsh life before this, before she found this island, this community…and Bass…

She was looking forward to seeing Miles again, yes…and Aaron, but there was another visitor coming with them, and she wasn't sure what effect he – or any of them come to that, no matter how much she loved them - would have on her family's little paradise… She and Bass – and the kids - had had the island almost to themselves for so long now, and she loved things just the way they were…

She sighed, kicked off her outside boots in the coat-room just inside the back door and slid into the comfy hide slippers she'd made herself… 'Bass?' she called up the stairs as she headed towards the kitchen…

'Be down in a minute, Charlie…' his voice floated down to her…

She looked down at her little papoose…Alice was making her 'I'm hungry and you'd better feed me soon' sounds, a little frown playing between the golden brows…

Charlie smiled down at her…'give mommy just a couple more minutes, sweetheart…' then she went a bit faster, Alice was pretty determined even as young as she was and if she said she was hungry, she was hungry and that was all there was to it…

Charlie's mind kept going back to their upcoming visitors though…

Miles was bringing Bass' son Connor with him, his adult son, conceived when Bass was in his teens after an affair with a young woman called Emma, who had been engaged to Miles at the time… Shit, talk about complicated… It turned out that Miles had known about Connor, and who his father really was… but he and Emma had decided to hide the boy from the then General Monroe and Miles had taken him to some of Emma's relatives in Mexico… Miles had apologised to Bass - and apparently to Connor as well - for that - and especially for not checking on what happened to Connor afterwards…

Bass had said that what was past was past, but it had hurt anyway, she could see that – and she was angry for him, for what he'd lost…

Anyway, when the call came for volunteers to join the fight against the Patriots, Connor had apparently been one of the first to join up, becoming part of the Mexican contingent fighting alongside Texas and Cali. He'd turned up one day at Miles' tent, full of Monroe cockiness, and Miles had taken him under his wing, Connor fighting alongside the remade General… Now he was one of the President's men, a lieutenant…

Bass had known about Connor too, but not until much later; Emma had told him just before she died in Jasper, before the Tower, and he thought the chances of finding his son had maybe died with her… He had also thought, during the dark days after the Tower, that wherever he was, his son was better off without the name of Monroe hanging like a sword over his head… and he had given up any attempt at finding him. After the war ended though and lines of communication were re-established around the New United States, he and Charlie had written to Miles, telling him that they were alive and well, and Miles had written back, his scrawl unmistakeable…

Charlie sighed as she went into their warm kitchen, lit a couple of oil lamps, put her basket of eggs on the bench and settled into the rocking chair that Bass had made her just before Ben was born… She tucked Alice onto her lap, rolled up her jumper and undid the buttons of her shirt; her daughter's rosebud mouth already open; searching…

One little hand, the delicate fingers waving like a starfish, reached up to claim her breast as soon as it was uncovered, and the blue eyes in the small, rosy face searched for hers… Then, as she latched on to Charlie's nipple, with lips so soft for such a powerful pull, the long dark lashes with their golden tips blinked slowly over big, sleepy, blue eyes that gazed, unwavering, up at Charlie as she fed, as if her mom was the world…

Charlie smiled down at her daughter, her eyes soft… It had been a revelation becoming a mother, and it amazed her even more the second time around. She didn't know how her own mom had left her and Danny; Charlie couldn't imagine a reason big enough to make her leave her children, or Bass…

Alice wriggled, complaining, and Charlie realised she'd tensed up, blocking the flow of her milk; she deliberately relaxed, taking a long, deep breath… damn it, her mom could push her buttons even now…

Talking of buttons… finding out that Connor had been hidden from him, first by Emma, and then by Miles, had pushed buttons Bass didn't even know he had, and he'd been hurt and angry at first - especially as Miles knew how Bass felt after losing Shelley and their little daughter back in the earlier days of the blackout, knew what it'd done to him, knew what having Connor would mean…

He had mostly made peace with those memories now though, and with Miles, he'd told her so… They'd talked about all of it through many of the long nights when they cared for the light together, making sure it stayed lit to warn any boats passing by…and Charlie knew that she held his heart now, as he held hers, and that Ben and Alice were helping them both to heal after all the years of hardship and horror…

She bent down and pressed a kiss to the soft, fragrant, dark golden curls… They'd be going down to Town Landing in the wagon soon to meet the boat, but Alice needed a little snack first, or Granddaddy Miles, Uncle Aaron and big brother Connor would be treated to a major tantrum from the best set of lungs on the island… Charlie leaned back and let herself fall into a contented half doze in the chair, gently rocking it with her feet… and as she sat there, the events of the last few months passed through her mind in a little parade; Miles and Aaron had had lots to tell… Her eyes wafted closed, she'd read the letters so often it was almost as though she'd been there, part of it… and the bit about her mom played again…

The 'new technology' that Rachael and Aaron had harnessed to help fight the Patriots had come with a high price tag...

While Miles, Texas and their growing list of allies carried the fight to the Patriots, Rachael, Aaron and Priscilla with Grace's help, had tracked the artificial entity they'd called the Nano to Bradbury, Idaho. They'd found it gathering humans together that were susceptible to its influence, experimenting with them, 'improving them' as it had done when it had taken over Priscilla's mind in Willoughby, planning to improve the whole world the same awful way… and in an attempt to stop it Rachael had confronted the strange intelligence and had reached a sort of agreement with it...

It turned out that the Nano wanted a living brain, a human computer as an interface with the physical world but hadn't yet found a human that it could truly meld with, that could withstand its tenancy for any length of time without collapsing into fragments of dissociated consciousness… so Rachael had offered herself. As one of the creators of the Nano, she understood it more than almost any other human could, and the complex genius of her mind kept the Nano enthralled while she learned how to use the Nano's abilities to seek out minds sympathetic to the Patriot cause, and to neutralize them, effectively helping to end the Patriot threat…

The occupation by the Nano had burnt Rachael out like a candle, although she lasted far longer than anyone else had… Her death also finished the Nano, which by then had become inextricably linked to Rachael's neural network… The world was still without power, the nanites were still around… but at least humans weren't running in endless little circles like the rats in the creepy rat room Aaron had told her about…

Charlie gently turned Alice round to her other breast for dessert… there were a couple of little bumps starting on the baby gums and soon there'd be the joys of teeth – and teething… She shook her head, smiling; wow… so soon…

She sat back again…remembering the rest of the story…

Aaron had told Charlie about her Mom's sacrifice in a letter… 'She said she was trying to make up for what she and Ben had done to the world…' was how he put it… Grace had died too, although Aaron had somehow managed to get Priscilla out of Bradbury and back to the safety of the army camp, he'd had to leave Rachael and Grace behind though…

Miles hadn't mentioned her mom at all, except in his first letter, the one where he said sorry; sorry that he hadn't been able to save Rachael, sorry that he'd hidden Connor from Bass, sorry that Charlie had to find out that almost everything she thought she'd known about her family was a lie…

Charlie looked up as she heard familiar footsteps moving around the kitchen… then Bass was there, gazing down at them, his eyes so full of love that she found herself tearing up…

He went down on his knees next to her, his weight holding the chair still, and put an arm around her back, gently enclosing them in the circle of his arms… He kissed her then rested his forehead on hers… 'Is our little foghorn nearly finished, Charlie?'

Charlie smiled at him… 'Almost done…' she looked down… the long lashes were dark half-moons on the rosy cheeks and the suckling had slowed down to an occasional sleepy pull on her breast… 'How about Ben?'

Bass tipped his head to the little day bed they'd put in the warm spot near the range; there was a small figure lying there, thumb in his mouth, a big ginger cat curled at his feet and a black and white one in his arms…'He'll be out of it for a while… long enough for me to go and get the wagon ready…' he reached out and took Alice into his arms, her lips pulling away from Charlie's nipple with a little sucking sound…

The baby snuggled against him as he stood up and he held her for a moment, just looking at her, a little smile playing round his lips… Then he walked across and laid her gently into the cradle standing against the wall, tucking a light blanket carefully over her…

He returned to a waiting Charlie, taking her into his arms for a long, sweet, hungry kiss… trailing his lips down her neck, finding the honey spot, the one that always sent shooting stars straight down to her clit…his tongue flicking out…

She shivered and laughed, low...'Have we got time…?'

He chuckled…'There's always time for that…and we're going to have people everywhere soon…

Charlie frowned, a little puzzled…'so how many are coming?'

'Looks like a whole platoon, and that's not counting the photographers in the second boat…'

'Photographers? Really?'

He shrugged…'Well, somehow Miles got himself made President, and where the president goes, so does the press…'

'Well, I hope they're bringing some of their own food…' she looked over at the cupboard where they had a basket full of Hannah's bread, three of the big blueberry pies that Rosie was famous for, a whole side of bacon (that Bass was becoming famous for…) along with potatoes and other vegetables from the gardens ready to roast in the big range oven… They were planning an outdoor cook up too… with fresh caught fish and venison… and when Jake, Rosie, Sam and their other friends arrived as well it was going to be the biggest party the island had seen in years…

There were plenty of solid buildings to provide shelter though… Some of the houses in Town Landing had already been fixed up by men and women from the mainland and it wouldn't be long before new families moved to the island - fisher folk and new settlers looking for a good place to live. Their local neighbourhood was booming with the advent of peace and an abundance of natural resources and food…

Bass pulled her in closer, his cock heavy and hard against her belly, under his pants… 'They will, don't worry… Miles is a firm believer in an army marching on its stomach… Oh, and we've got some time off too, Sam's offered to do the light tonight and tomorrow night…'

'That's so nice of him…' she glanced over at the sleeping Ben… 'Ben'll miss lighting the lamp though, it's one of his favourite things…' Charlie leaned against the firm muscles of his chest and breathed in his spicy, male scent...'mine too…' she tipped her face up to him…'I love seeing the light go on and knowing that there are friends out there who are safer because of it…'

'Yeah… it's always special…' Bass leaned down and quickly undid her pants, then his own… sliding his hand between them and down, his fingers finding her wet and ready… 'So is this….' he said, his voice hoarse, the sound sending little shivers of delight sliding down her spine…

Charlie looked up into his eyes… their clear, bottomless blue fascinating and holding hers captive as they always did…'yeah…' They'd learned to make the most of times when both of their little people were asleep and she reached down, taking his long, hard, and so wonderfully familiar cock in her hands, stroking up, over the rounded head and down, in a rhythm she knew he loved… feeling his breath catch and get faster, hers doing the same as his long, strong, fingers played with her folds, sinking in to her hot core, his thumb sliding over her clit until she stood, leaning against him, gasping…

He grinned, his eyes gleaming…'bath or chair…?'

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, tilting her hips towards him to get more of his fingers… pretending to weigh up the options….'Hmm…' her eyes fluttered shut as he brought her closer… her head falling forward onto his chest…

He laughed, soft and low… 'Bath it is…'

She laughed back, tilting her head up…'How'd you know…?'

He picked her up in his arms and carried her over to the big tub in a shadowy corner of the room, putting her down on the other side of it just in case Ben woke up, although it was unlikely, like everything he did, he was either awake or asleep, nothing in between… He nuzzled the back of her neck as he got himself into position... 'It was the way you said "hmm…"'

Charlie chuckled, holding on to the rolled metal edge of the bath with both hands, cushioned against the thick towel that they kept over the bath for just this sort of opportunity, and getting up on her toes to make it easier for him… Then she gasped as he suddenly thrust in… All the way in, then out and back again, his hands tight on her ass, lifting her higher, wider as he plunged in and out, fast and hard…

He slid one hand around to reach her pussy, his fingers playing with her clit, sliding through her folds to where his cock moved steadily in and out of her hot centre, then back to her clit again…

She lost herself in the sensations of his hands, his fingers, the feel of his flesh against the cheeks of her ass, the roughness of hair on his skin, the strength of bone and muscle against her, the thrust of hard flesh and soft skin… his lips on her neck, her shoulders, her hair tangling in his beard… the soft roughness of the towel over metal on her belly and breasts... She could feel him getting closer and that edged her closer too… their breath mingling as their lips met in searing, frantic kisses, his hands moving faster on her skin, the sensitive flesh between her legs…her hips lifting, lifting herself onto her toes to give him more and more access, until suddenly she knew they were there and the lights from the lamps suddenly seemed brighter as everything flew apart in a second that lasted for long panting breaths…

Bass turned her round to face him, lifting her hair back with one hand, the other moving lazily up and down the soft skin of her back… 'I love you so much, Charlie…' His eyes were the intense blue that they got when he was really serious about something…

Charlie met those eyes, putting all of herself into her own…'I love you too, Bass…' she reached up and cupped his face, understanding what he was really asking, wanting it herself…'and I'm glad Miles and the others are coming to visit' She reached up and kissed him, her lips lingering on his for a long moment… 'But I'll be even happier when we have our island back…'

He nodded, his eyes showing her that she'd been right…'yeah, me too…' he pressed another kiss on to her forehead… 'I'll go and get the wagon ready' he smiled…'It's nearly time to go…'

…

AN: Hi and thanks so much for reading… I was going to finish the story there, although it is tempting to have the party as a big finish – and the meeting between Bass and Connor, and Miles of course, and Aaron… I hope you like the little alternate timeline to the comic too… Rachael sacrificing herself seemed to be the right thing to do… and having Miles become President also seemed right for this story… anyway, if you have a moment, please let me know what you think? All the best, Magpie


	9. Chapter 9

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page).

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Hi there, and thanks so much for reading – this is turning into more of a fix-it story than I thought it would, so it might go on for a bit longer…but what the hey! Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… **

**Chapter 9, what the tide takes out…**

Bass checked the horses, bringing the two heavyset bays back to a walk and guiding the wagon over towards the water trough, lean to and rail he'd set up by entrance to the jetty. A boatload of their friends had come over from the mainland a couple of years ago to help clean up the old boatshed and repair the jetty pilings – and dispose of any remains of the Patriot soldiers that had been inside when it collapsed during their attack – so the jetty was usable now and the water deep enough even at low tide for vessels as large as the ones coming in…

He looked out to the straits…the boats carrying Miles and their other visitors - including his eldest son (and wasn't that a thought), were steaming steadily towards them through the low swells of the waters between Isle au Haut and tiny Kimball Island. They were still far enough away that it was hard to make out individuals, especially as Ben was hogging the binoculars… Bass glanced down at his son, who was sitting between Bass and Charlie on the bench seat, totally absorbed in watching the boats… he caught Charlie's eye then flicked his down to Ben…

Charlie grinned back; their little tearaway was rarely this motionless, and never this quiet, still, it wasn't every day that they had this many visitors… She looked out at the boats, the lead craft was the biggest, and she thought she could see Miles standing at the front – and maybe Aaron behind him next to another tall, dark haired figure, could that be Connor? She shrugged…they'd find out soon, 'I don't recognise the boats, Bass, where do you think they got them?'

Bass glanced back out to the oncoming boats, checking them out a little more closely and damn, he was impressed; Miles had hired – or acquired – two of the biggest and fanciest boats he'd seen in recent times; big enough to carry a very respectable entourage… 'Not sure, Charlie; maybe in Boston? I've heard the shipyards there are working full time…' he chuckled…'looks like he brought half the population with him though…' Then he glanced up at the sky; fluffy white clouds were racing across the autumn blue, gathering together in flocks at the horizon… 'Hope they don't mind getting wet…'

Charlie was checking that Alice was warm enough in her carry basket and looked over at him… 'I packed the oilskins just in case…'

He grinned over at her…'girl scout, huh?'

She gave him a look…'Ok, I'll bite… what's a girl scout?'

He smirked…'They wore cute uniforms and made cookies… and they always remembered the oilskins…'

She slanted one of her wicked grins at him…'I can make cookies, and I bet I could find a cute uniform somewhere…'

'Then I'd have to get ready to fight guys off with a stick because they were looking at you and Miles would have an aneurism; as it is he might have a bit of trouble coping with the actuality of all of us…' He swung down off the wagon, tied the horses, then gave Ben a lift down, chuckling as the curly blond head turned to keep the binoculars pointed at the boats…

The boy dropped to the ground, leaning back on his heels – all without taking the glasses away from his eyes; Bass shook his head, this had to be some sort of record for quiet… He looked back up at Charlie, she was smiling down at Ben too and looked across to meet his eyes, hers twinkling…

He choked up for a minute…she was so beautiful… 'So, are you and Alice ready to come down?'

'Yeah…' she handed the basket down to him, the baby's arms visible above the edges waving at the sky and the little crowing noises Alice made when she was happy floating out on the breeze… Then she climbed down herself, her grin fading a little as she watched the boats come closer…

Bass took the basket handles, Alice's small, bright face blinking up at him, and he felt a surge of love and wonder move through him that rocked him to his bones; somehow he had been given another chance at life and love and family, and he knew he'd do anything to protect them, anything… then he looked up and saw Charlie's face…'Hey, what is it?' he put Alice's basket down at his feet…

She turned to him 'There are so many people… what if someone recognises you, Bass?'

He couldn't bear the look in her eyes, fear – for him…'Charlie, we talked about this…Miles said he told everyone who knows about us to call me Jimmy, and hell, most other people think I'm dead and gone anyway…' he took her into his arms…'besides, I'm a hero now; there's even comics going around about Miles and me for fuck's sake…'

Her smile returned at that…'Yeah, I know, Rosie's Jeremiah's got the whole collection, I have to keep asking him not to show them to Ben yet…' her eyes swept down… 'You look so cute with those swords…'

'Cute?' he frowned down at her, although his lips twitched… 'I thought they made me look kick-ass…'

She snaked her arms up around his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss…'No, you look cute…' she lost herself in his kiss, his lips firm and so, so sweet… she pulled away, holding his eyes with hers, 'It's just that if people knew, everything would change for us here… and Miles would ask you to go and be a General again…or something…' she sighed and looked away…'I guess I'm still worried that things are going to be different now, that's all...'

He went very still, then he took her face between his hands…'you've got nothing to worry about Charlie, me and Miles were brothers for a long time' he shrugged…'now? I don't know what we are now…but what I do know is that somehow he arranged things so instead of being the bad guy, I'm…' he grinned, stepping back and spreading his hands out…'I'm Batman…'

Charlie's eyebrows knotted…'who's Batman?'

'He's another comic book hero, Charlie, I'll tell you about him sometime…' Bass leaned forward again, 'but believe me when I tell you that whatever happens, nothing's going to change between you and me, not because of me anyway…' he gazed deep into her eyes, his so intensely blue she was dazzled for a moment…'besides, Jake and Rosie and a few other people around here have known about me for a long time now and they haven't said anything, have they? I don't think anyone'd give a flying fuck now anyway… a hell of a lot of people are walking around who've got things in the past that they'd rather forget, I'm not even halfway close to being the only one…'

She nodded…'yeah… I guess you're right…'

He smiled… 'Damn right I'm right…' he let go of her, reached into the inside pocket of his leather jacket, took out a brown woollen beanie and put it on, pulling it down over his ears and running his fingers through his scruff to make it look longer… 'But just in case… what do you think? Do I look like a lighthouse keeper or a former General with two swords on his belt…?'

She choked off a laugh…'You look like a lighthouse keeper with two swords on his belt…' she looked pointedly at his hips and the double scabbard on one side, holster on the other…'as well as your .45, two belt knives…' her eyes moved downwards…'your boot knives' she looked back up to his shoulders to a small double bump under his left arm…'another knife in your shoulder harness – and - is that the derringer?'

He shrugged, totally unapologetic…'don't feel properly dressed without them, Charlie, fuck, nobody walks around unarmed, even up here…'

She bent down to pick up Alice's basket… 'The guards are probably going to make you take the guns off at least, so you might as well leave them in the wagon now…'

He hesitated…

Charlie lifted an eyebrow…

Bass sighed…'Ok, ok…' he unbuckled his gun belt and took the gun from his shoulder holster, stowing them in the locker behind the front bench seat of the wagon…'but I'm keeping my swords – and the knives… Miles will think I've gone soft if I'm not carrying anything…' Then he stopped…'hey, wait a minute, what about you?' he swung around and gave her a once over…'Your crossbow's in here, but you've got your knives, throwing stars…' his eyes narrowed as they moved downwards 'your 22 in your right boot, another blade in the left…' the eyes moved up again… 'aaand I think I see a garrotte or two peeking through the stitching of your coat…'

Charlie shrugged, her lips twitching…'I guess I forget I'm wearing them sometimes…'

He held out his hand…'I love you, Charlie…now c'mon; hand em over…'

….

They walked together to the end of the jetty… Charlie holding Alice, who was watching the sky go by over her head, cooing to herself, and Bass carrying Ben on his shoulders, their son still totally transfixed as the boats loomed larger, slowly advancing towards the jetty… Eyes wide and as piercing a blue as his father's, he was vibrating with excitement as he watched the streams of water jetting out of the pointed bows to landward, slowing the boats down, and the streams of curling smoke rising from the chimneys into the clear air, the crewmen on the rails, waiting with sturdy poles and ready to heave to, the crowds of people milling and noisy on the decks of both boats; blue, black, green and drab uniforms mingling with bright civilian plumage…

Bass looked up at the lead boat…the gangplanks were already set up ready for disembarking and he could make out some of the faces amongst all the crowds lined up on the deck…

Then suddenly he saw Miles towards the bow, standing tall and thinner than he remembered, hands gripping the guard rail… and damn, his brother looked tired, and so fucking stiff and starched in a smart, black dress uniform and long black leather duster that Bass wanted to throw something at him just to see him unbend… The old sword belt was still slung around his hips though, but then that was an old, old friend…

He felt a thundering, tearing ache deep inside; the last time he'd seen Miles had been outside the tower, after the shit really hit the fan, when Miles had cut him loose and told him to run… But he and Miles had so much history together, good and bad, that it felt inevitable that somehow they would come together again; inevitable…and he was counting on it being for better, they'd already had the fucking worst…

Then their eyes met; dark and light, and Bass felt a jolt run right through him, like an electric shock… so many memories, so many fucking moments, so many years in that one glance…

Miles nodded, a tiny movement – probably no one else would notice except him - his eyes steady, lips curving just enough for Bass to know that maybe, just maybe, things were going to be ok between them, if only for Charlie's sake…

Bass nodded back, slowly, returning the smile in equal measure; and it felt good, damn good, and he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding…

Then he noticed Staypuft, standing behind Miles, still puft, although maybe not quite as much; his arm around a woman, slim, Asian? Both of them smiling and waving down as they saw Charlie…. and beside them, a tall younger man, good looking, in blue, his dark curls and eyes reminding him of someone…

'That's Priscilla, Bass, next to Aaron…' Charlie grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling…'and Miles looks like someone chained him down and made him shave, and God, everyone looks so clean, maybe being with the President means you get clean clothes and a bath every day…' she turned that smile up to Ben, whose eyes had gotten even bigger as the boats arrived… 'Wave hello to everybody, sweetheart...' then she shifted Alice's carrier to one hand, lifted the other and waved, smiling….

Ben lifted a hand too, and Bass as well…

Charlie jumped, almost startled into taking Alice and hitting the deck… as what sounded like hundreds of shots went off at once from the rails of the other boat, flashes bursting into the air like little bolts of lightening… She shot a glance sideways at Bass but he was just standing there, calm; a little smile curling his lips…

He noticed of course, and grinned down at her…'it's alright, Charlie, it's just the cameras, they use tiny explosions to get more light; it makes the pictures better…'

Ben was laughing, bouncing up and down with excitement…

'Oh…' Charlie bent down to check on Alice and hide her confusion, feeling just a little out of her depth with all this... fuss…. but her little girl was wide eyed and totally unconcerned, arms waving around, her starfish hands reaching as she focused on her mom, her happy crowing lost a little in the noise from the boat… Then, as the noise of the flashes died down, Charlie heard excited shouting from the boat - people calling out her name? What the hell…?

Then there was a flurry of footsteps behind her, sounding hollow on the planks of the jetty and she turned to see what else was happening…

Jake and Rosie were trotting down the jetty towards them, both of them wearing smiles from ear to ear, both in their Sunday best…

'Hey you guys…' Jake was puffing just a little; his large frame had gotten a little larger with the years… 'Sorry we're late, we pulled in at Duck Harbor to give you more room down here for these big momma's then rode the bikes down fast as we could… ' He paused, puffing and wiping his brow…'Sam's comin' too, he stopped off to leave his crap at the lighthouse…' he took a long, deep breath in…'but I didn't want to miss seeing the President steppin' off the boat, so me and Rosie came straight on here…' he leaned forward, hands on his knees, rugged face flushed… 'Whoa…. just give me a minute, ok…?'

Rosie kept going and came up to Charlie; shaking her head…'I'm going to have to stop making him so many pies…' then she looked at the scene in front of them…'wow…that's a hell of a lot of people…' she turned to Bass, smiling at him and up at Ben…'Hi Jimmy, hi Ben…'

Bass turned and grinned as Ben twisted so he could still see the boats…'Hey Rosie… good to see you, and the old man…' he tugged on one of Ben's legs…'hey buddy, say hi to Rosie and Jake...'

Ben swung round, his grin wide and excited, hands holding on to Bass' collar…'Hi Rosie and Jake, look at the big boats...and people are making lights and bangs… And we're having a party…'

'We sure are…' Bass laughed up at him… 'And those lights were on things called cameras, Ben... they make the pictures I showed you in the newspapers, and they were making pictures of you…'

Ben looked back at the boats, a look of total fascination on his face…'wow…'

Bass lifted Ben down, keeping hold of one small hand just in case the temptation to run for the boats grew too strong, the other reaching out for Charlie…

She smiled and moved in closer, holding Alice's basket in her left hand and putting her arm around Bass' waist as his went round hers…

He looked down at her, his eyes soft…'Here we go, Charlie…'

Suddenly there was a clatter from the lead boat as two wide gangplanks dropped down onto the jetty, a couple of crewmen leaping down, flinging thick ropes around the pilings…others jumping to with more ropes, securing the boat…

Two blue lines of soldiers came down first, forming an honour guard on either side of the jetty; some of them going to the other boat, preventing the people there from coming off…Charlie could hear cries of disappointment and complaint, and she was sorry, but she really didn't care two hoots about them…

One of the soldiers in the line raised an instrument she'd never seen before to his lips and started to play a bright marching tune…

Bass choked off a laugh that sounded a little like something else… 'Shit, I never thought I'd hear that again…'

Charlie looked up at him 'what is it?'

His eyes were bright… 'Just an old tune, Charlie…' he pulled her in closer…

Then yet more flashes popped and burst as Miles started down the ramp, walking on his own, and she suddenly realised that her uncle…no her father, was someone important now…

His tall frame looked as rangy and strong as ever in the dark shirt and pants and open, knee length jacket, the back of the coat swirling around him in the breeze from the sea, silver buttons catching the light as he came forward, his long legs covering the distance fast... His hair was as black too, the little touches of grey at the edges just a little wider - the wind catching and tossing it around; and the familiar sword belt hung at his side… Charlie took a shaky breath; she hadn't realised what it would mean to see him again after all that had happened, and a sudden mix of so many emotions… joy, sadness, regret… filled her throat until she had to swallow it down…

As he came closer, she could see his face. There was an expression there that she couldn't quite describe…but it was like the one he'd worn just after Maggie died, when he told her he wasn't going anywhere, when she'd seen his face through her tears and known she could trust that, trust him, that he wasn't going to leave her… and it was like the one he'd worn when he hadn't tried to stop her leaving Willoughby, after the Tower, when she couldn't bear to be near her mom, couldn't stand it any more… When he'd told her to keep her crazy to a minimum… It was as close as Miles ever got to telling her that he cared about her, although he'd shown her so many times…

She squeezed Bass tighter; felt him reach around and down to take Alice from her, so she could go to Miles…

'Go on Charlie, go say hi…' Bass went down on one knee, holding Ben close, Alice in her basket on the ground in front of him…

Charlie walked forward to meet Miles, her heart pounding… she was vaguely aware of more flashes of light popping on the smaller boat, and that several of the soldiers had broken from the lines and were walking beside Miles as he got closer, their rifles at ready… and she saw him wave them back with an impatient hand… And then, he was there, but she couldn't see him through the blur of her tears… She blinked them back, letting the fallen ones go… 'Miles?'

And he was right in front of her, tall, dark, himself…and there was so much, something… in his warm brown eyes that she didn't know what to do with it all…

'Hi kid, aren't you a sight for sore eyes…' his voice was low, soft. He tipped his head back towards the crowded boats… 'Sorry about bringing the circus, but at least I got them to leave the fucking marching band behind…' Then he stood there, waiting, as though he didn't quite know what to do…

Charlie choked off a laugh, or a sob, it was hard to tell…'Miles, it's so good to see you…' and she was suddenly in his arms, her cheek pressed against his shoulder, the light, salt and pepper scruff on his chin rough against her face, his arms hard and strong around her, hers around him, and he was holding her so tight, but so carefully that she couldn't help it, she just cried into his chest, tears going all over his shirt... He smelled of whiskey, and leather, he smelled like the Miles she remembered; familiar, so familiar… only cleaner, and she laughed and cried some more…

His voice was hoarse and so…him… 'Charlie… I thought I'd never see you again, and when Rachael told me you were mine, I… I was so… so glad that I'd had the chance to get to know you…' his voice broke… 'And so damn angry that I just let you…walk away... and then, when everything went to hell all I could do was hope you'd managed to stay alive wherever you were…' He let go a little, but only enough that he was able to look at her face…his eyes tracing around her like he wanted to engrave her features on his memory… 'I'd almost given up on ever seeing you again, Charlie, and I was never so damn happy in my whole fucking life as I was when I got your letter; yours and… his…'

Charlie saw his eyes go past hers and knew he was looking at Bass and the kids. There was a sort of wonder in them, as if what he saw was something he hadn't dared to hope for, and she smiled up at him…'Would you like to meet your grandkids, Miles?'

He swallowed…his eyes filling with tears that he didn't try to hide… he choked on a laugh… 'Grandkids… way to make me feel old, Charlie…' he nodded…'but yeah, I'd like that very much…'

She looked up at him, holding his eyes…wanting him to know how much this meant to her, wanting him to understand… She reached up a hand, resting it on his chest, over his heart… 'He saved me, Miles… He saved my life, I'd be drowned and dead if it wasn't for him; but that's not why I love him…'

He gazed down at her, his dark eyes waiting for her to finish…

Charlie looked up at him… 'I love him because he's a good man, and because I know that he's sorry about the things that happened before when everything went crazy, when everyone went crazy…and I love him because he's smart, and kind, and funny, and strong…' she smiled; her eyes soft…'and gorgeous…and he loves me so much, and he's so great at being a father, and… for so many other things…'

Miles nodded slowly, carefully… 'He always was a good man, Charlie, I think he was always better than me, and he wouldn't have become General Monroe that you met if I hadn't made him that way, hadn't left him like I did. It was my fault…and I always knew that really, it was why I couldn't kill him…' he looked away for a moment, his tongue flicking out over his bottom lip in an achingly familiar gesture, then he turned back… 'Before everything fell to pieces, before we all went crazy, Bass was just like you said he is now…' He sighed…pulling her closer 'I'm just glad you're alive, and happy, and maybe… you finding him? Well, it sounds like you sort of saved each other…'

She reached up and patted his shoulder, brushing off a speck of dust….'Seems like being made President makes you get wiser too…'

'Hey, me? Wise?' he scowled down at her, although his eyes were laughing… 'And I'm not planning to be President for much longer, I just have to find a chump who's willing to take over until we can get a proper election going….' He looked over at Bass, who was waiting quietly, talking to Ben, pointing things out on the boats, the different uniforms, the way the soldiers were keeping things in order…'By the way, I asked Connor to wait to join us until it was just us, just family…' He turned back to her…'Its probably a good thing if Bass stays Jimmy for a bit longer; there are still crazies around and you'd never get any peace even up here what with people being so curious about him…' he grinned… 'Especially with those damn comics so popular… and now the press knows about you too…'

Charlie frowned up at him…'He thinks you organised the comics, Miles…'

He shook his head…'Nah…not really… they were Aaron's idea, he knows this artist guy - calls himself 'the Phantom' - anyway, we get together and work out the storylines and he draws them up… ' He shrugged, eyes amused…'they've taken off in a big way… I keep having to tell people that it wasn't all sword fights, explosions and adventures, but hell, even those people that were there are starting to believe the comic version…' His lips curved in one of his ironic smiles (God, she'd missed those…) then his face went serious… 'But Bass is a hero now, which should take the heat off things…' a dark eyebrow lifted…'and hey, you're in them too, especially the most recent ones, the ones set after the bombs went off….'

He pulled back a little, letting her go and putting her arm through one of his …'That's why I brought all these bozo's up here in the first place' and his tongue flicked out over his bottom lip in a gesture that Charlie remembered so well…

'I figured we could give them a couple of photo ops and stories, get it all over with, then things would calm down…' he got all serious again…'I might have called them bozo's Charlie, but there are some very smart people on that boat, and they're definitely not going to be easy to fool, we'll have to be careful if we want things to work out…'

She shook her head…'Wow… ok, so how do you want to work it?'

Miles leaned forward and whispered close to her ear…'We pose together for some nice family photos, …then you pull the old 'fainting, could be pregnant again' thing…'

'The what?' Charlie was indignant…'I've never fainted in my life, Miles, even when I was pregnant…'

He frowned, although his lips had their old twist… 'But you know what people look like when they faint don't you?'

She looked up at him…'Yeah, I guess, they sort of go all limp and fall down…'

He shrugged…'well do that then…'

She leaned forward, keeping her voice low…'we'll have to tell Bass; Miles, or he'll think I really am sick, and what about Ben?'

Miles blew his breath out through his teeth… 'Ok…so you give Bass the head's up, tell Ben you're playing a game, do your fainting thing, then I send the newspaper people away, promising all sorts of exclusives when you guys come to visit me…' he sighed…'then we can all relax…Ok?'

She shook her head…'I've got a better idea, why don't we give them their photo op or whatever that is, tell them that there's no food on the island for them as well as your troops, and send them back to Stonington…' she shrugged…'there're plenty of places for them to stay there…'

Miles chuckled…'Ok… but I kinda liked my idea; more dramatic, you know… for the next comic' he did his eyebrow thing…

Charlie laughed…she couldn't help it; she hugged him again, closing her eyes at the feeling of warmth, and his familiar, solid strength… 'I've missed you, Miles…'

His arms wrapped around her again…'me too, kid…' he let her go…'now, lets give the nice people their photo opportunity and then we can go and have a drink…' he hesitated…'you do have whiskey up here in the sticks, don't you?'

Charlie kept her face very straight…'we gave it up when we had the kids, Miles… we only drink goat's milk now…' Then she burst out laughing at the look of horror on his face… She put her arm through his and led him towards Bass and their kids, and Jake, who was just putting on his Mayoral chain, Rosie straightening it out over his broad chest…

Bass caught her eyes, a question in his, his lips twitching…she smiled and blew him a kiss, waving at Ben who was dancing on the spot…

Miles chuckled again…'I can't promise not to hit him if he calls me dad, Charlie…'

…

AN: thought I'd pause there, this was getting a little long for one chapter, I really wanted to give Charlie and Miles some time – it was important for them both… there is a bit more to tell in this story though – Miles and Bass, Aaron and Priscilla, and some more of Bass and Charlie (I think you know that though…) anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and hope to see you at the next chapter, cheers Magpie


	10. Chapter 10

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page).

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Hi there, and thanks so much for reading – this is turning into more of a fix-it story than I thought it would, so it might go on for a bit longer…but what the hey! Hope you enjoy… Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… **

**Chapter 10, a cleansing storm…**

Bass watched as Charlie and Miles walked arm in arm towards them; glad to see that his brother was looking a little less like a shadow of the man he knew before… he smiled to himself, Charlie's magic was working already…

Then suddenly there was a commotion from the boats: two of the press contingent had got past the guards and onto the jetty landing and were running towards Charlie and Miles, camera's held high, zig-zagging to avoid the soldiers chasing them along the jetty, loud shouts of encouragement for both sides ringing out from each of the boats…

Miles and Charlie slowed, both starting to turn…

The two journalists got closer, several soldiers just behind them, closing in fast… Then the one in the lead reached into his jacket with his free hand, pulled out a gun and pointed it at Miles, aiming as he ran… and as the other saw what was happening he stopped running, face pale, and panicked, hands held high in surrender...

There were screams and a collective shout from the boats as people saw what was happening…

The soldiers brushed past the second man, shoving him to the ground, one of them stopping to secure him…

There was no time to do anything, but Bass did it anyway 'Miles' he yelled…'Incoming…' He passed Ben to a startled Jake, registered Rosie's horrified face then ran towards Charlie…

Miles drew his sword as he turned, pushing Charlie behind him and down with the other hand…

The man stopped, panting, a few yards away, his gun pointed steadily at Miles, his eyes shifting rapidly between his target and his pursuers, the soldiers behind him not able to take a shot in case they hit Miles or Charlie… 'Stop, all of you, stop where you are or I shoot him right now…' the voice was hoarse from exertion but he sounded as though he meant it…

Miles slid his sword back into its sheath and signalled to his troops to stop where they were, then he lifted his hands, holding them up empty, face and voice very calm…'Ok, you've got your fifteen minutes; what can I do for you?'

Bass reached Charlie, going to his knees; his body between her and the shooter, but the man ignored him, focused on Miles…

Charlie looked up at Bass, her eyes angry and frightened at the same time… then she slanted her glance down to her inside pocket…

He smiled, telling her with his eyes that he loved her more than fucking anything… then he very slowly reached into her jacket and pulled out the .22 she hadn't declared at their little disarming session earlier…

The man took a deep breath, and shouted…'I am a Patriot, and I accuse you, Miles Matheson, of treason against the United States of America, and I sentence you to…'

Two shots rang out, then a third…

The wooden planking a few feet from where Miles was standing splintered, pieces flying up into the air like confetti. The patriot yelled and crumpled, falling to the ground, blood spurting from his gun arm and left side…

There was a deafening silence… then a cacophony of screams, shouts, pounding feet and what seemed like an endless stream of bright flashes from the Press boat, and suddenly blue and green uniformed soldiers were all around them, most facing outwards towards the boats, in guard position round Miles, Bass and Charlie. Two came up to them, checking that Miles was ok first; then coming round to Charlie and she found herself gently but firmly helped up from the ground… Shit, she thought Miles had said that all the Patriot's were gone... 'I'm ok…' she told them and looked round for Bass…

He was already on his feet and reaching for her, the hand with the .22 held high, muzzle to the air, his fingers spread, eyes frantic until he saw that she was standing on her own and ok… 'Charlie?'

'I'm alright…' she said, managing a smile, a little dismayed by how shaky she felt, shit, it had all happened so quickly. She took a deep breath, steadying herself up; Bass was there, and they were all ok… but damn it she was out of practice with all of that stuff; she seriously needed to get in some training time with Bass' mom's and dad's army…

Miles was checking her over too, his whole body on alert and for a moment he and Bass stood together side by side, the same look on their faces, ready for action, for anything, their bodies almost a mirror of each other…

Charlie felt the men on either side of her fall back a step as they let her go, then Bass flipped the gun around in his hand in one easy movement so he was holding it in a no threat position and the other hand went to his mouth, forefinger covering his lips in a shhh... His eyes were a bright, dancing blue and were aimed somewhere above her head, his lips curved in the same little grin that he wore when she caught him and Ben out night fishing or raiding the pantry…

Charlie looked up at one soldier then the other, but they weren't looking at her…

The two men stared at Bass for a long moment; their eyes wide, faces frozen in an awed silence…then, as one, they nodded, saluted smartly, turned and fell back, joining the others at the perimeter…

Miles let out a breath between his teeth, his tongue flicking out over his bottom lip and an eyebrow lifting… 'Well, I guess that's the next edition of the comic just about covered…' Then there was another, smaller commotion at the far end of the jetty as a small group of people tried to get past the guards…

Charlie tried, but she wasn't tall enough to see… 'What's happening, Miles?'

Bass shook his head…'I never understood how staypuft stayed puft, when everyone else got thin… and who's the chick?'

Charlie put a hand on his shoulder, trying to leverage see…'Aaron?'

Miles cuffed him on the other arm…'Cut him some slack, Bass…he's been through a hell of a lot, and that's his wife…' then he called out… 'Guys… Its ok, let 'em through…' his voice rang out over the assorted hubbub…

'Aaron' Charlie held her arms out as the bearded, still spectacled and wonderfully familiar figure of her oldest friend came barrelling towards her, worry creasing his face…

'Charlie… are you ok? We heard the shots, but we couldn't see what happened…' he reached her and pulled her into a hug…

Priscilla was just behind him, her lips curved in a worried smile. Shorter than Charlie, her slender body looked too thin, but her eyes were bright and shone with intelligence… She put a hand up and patted Charlie's arm…'I'm so glad you're ok, Charlie, they wouldn't let us through or we'd have come sooner…'

Miles looked at them…'Hi, Aaron, Priscilla, I'm fine, really… thanks for asking…' his voice was very dry…

Aaron looked up at him over the top of Charlie's head…'what did you say, Miles…?

Miles shook his head…'Nothing…'

Bass grinned and put the .22 away in a pocket of his jacket, he'd give it back to Charlie later, and besides he felt better armed with more than his blades at the moment… 'I thought you said Rachael found all of those bastards, Miles?'

Miles shrugged…'Guess she missed one…' He held a hand out, although it didn't seem nearly enough, hugs were definitely more Bass' thing though… 'Bass, thanks - and not just for today' his eyes swept across to Charlie, still hugging Aaron, then came back to Bass, so much more in their depths than he could actually say out loud… 'Charlie told me that she almost drowned on the way here when she was tracking you, that you saved her life...' his tongue ran out over his bottom lip… 'You didn't tell me about that in the letters…' he cleared his throat…'Bass, I…I don't know what to say…'

Bass felt a grin spread over his face; Miles never was good with the emotional stuff but it actually felt like maybe they were going to be able to move past the crap…and maybe start again? He took the hand; the grip was the same, the calluses felt the same, the hand still a little broader than his, the musician's fingers long and fine… 'It was the best day of my life Miles…and you can thank Charlie for today too, she had the gun in her jacket pocket… I left both of mine in the wagon' he chuckled and let go…'She said your guards would make us hand them over, but I was never so glad that she always keeps a little something up her sleeve…'

He glanced over at Charlie, still chatting away to Staypuft and his lady although her eyes kept glancing back at him, and Miles - and their kids… He checked too… Ben was happy with Jake, occupied with admiring the soldiers, the boats and the still flashing lights… and Rosie was smiling down at Alice… Then his eyes were caught by a tall, dark haired figure, threading his way towards him and Miles…'Miles, is that…?'

'Yeah, Bass, that's Connor…' and Miles watched as Bass looked at his son…

The young man walked with a long, easy stride towards them, his body trim and well muscled…and Bass saw Emma's eyes, Emma's cheekbones… there was maybe a trace of his own father in the strong jaw, but it definitely wasn't mirror image stuff… Emma had been dark haired, her Mexican ancestry coming through… He couldn't see himself in this young man though, not yet anyway… not as he could in Ben, or Alice… This was a stranger still, even if he was blood…

Connor reached them and stopped; saluting Miles and curving it round to include Bass, a sharp mind shining in those dark eyes…'Glad to see you're ok, Sir…' He held a hand out to Bass, 'that was very well done, Mr…King isn't it?'

Bass nodded…'Yeah…Jimmy King, and it was just chance really, put me where I could be of help' he shook his son's hand, a firm grip, strong…and it felt good, really good… 'And you're Connor Bennett? The President speaks very highly of you…'

Connor shrugged and smiled, his own smile, no echoes of Emma – or Bass, there… 'I'm glad to be of service' He nodded, respectful, those dark eyes measuring, curiosity deep in there, but in control…'you saved President Matheson's life, Mr King, we're all very grateful' he turned back to Miles…'I'd better go back and start organising a few things, sir, with your permission…' he tipped his head back towards the boat…

Miles nodded…'Go on, lieutenant; I'll catch up with you later…' then he watched as the tall figure disappeared into the distance then turned to Bass, 'He's a good kid, Bass…'

Bass was watching him too…'He's a hell of a lot like Emma' then he let out a long breath…'have you told him how she died, Miles? Does he know that it was my fault…?'

'Bass...' Miles turned to him…'I was there too…and if I'd been better prepared, that guy would never have got a shot off and Emma'd still be alive' he huffed…'and if Randall hadn't done what he did, Philly and Atlanta wouldn't be a pile of hot rubble, hell, if Rachael and Ben hadn't done what they did there wouldn't have been a blackout, and we could be sitting drinking beer and watching the ball game at a bar in Chicago…' he rubbed a hand over his jaw and sighed… 'It's all in the past now, Bass, and we have to look to the future or we'll never stop finding people to blame for one thing or another…'

Then Bass spotted another face, coming towards them through the crowds on the jetty, one that couldn't possibly be there except by some sort of miracle… The colour drained from his face as the ghost came closer, in dress blues, wearing the insignia of a Major General and moving with a steady pace past soldiers who saluted him as he went… 'Miles…?'

Miles shrugged…'oh… yeah… I forgot to mention him…'

Bass stared…'How?'

'Some of his guys helped him escape, pretended to follow your orders…they figured you'd wish you hadn't done what you did when you… well, recovered…' Miles looked at Bass, a question in his eyes…'were they wrong?'

'No' He shook his head, emphatic… 'I wanted to take it back as soon as I heard the shot, even before I found out that it wasn't him that betrayed me…' he tailed off…

Jeremy came closer, wearing that same ironic smile, the one that made him look as though he thought life was one big cosmic joke, and hell, maybe he was right…Then he walked straight past Bass and stopped in front of Miles, tipping his head back towards the Press boat…'We're going to have a riot on our hands if we don't tell them what the fuck's going on down here soon, Sir' the smile got wider and he slanted a look across at Bass, his eyes full of…something?

It wasn't anger though, although Bass wouldn't have blamed him…

Jeremy turned back to Miles…'They're yelling something about freedom of the press and threatening to sue if we don't let them off that boat…' he smirked…'and they're going to be even noisier in a couple of minutes when they find out that I've ordered full body searches before I'll let them anywhere near you…'

Miles huffed…'who do they think they're gonna sue?' he let out a long breath…'Ok, I guess we gotta give 'em something after they came all this way…'

Jeremy turned to Bass, 'so, are you Bass or Jimmy today?' he shrugged, a sly little grin curling his lips… 'Or maybe Mary?'

Bass grinned back…given that he'd just been made by two of the General's men, the disguise did seem just a little ridiculous…'I don't think it matters that much anymore, Jer...' then he looked at the stars on the tailored jacket…'or rather, General Baker…'

Then he put all his relief at somehow seeing Jeremy alive into his eyes… They'd known each other since, what, six months after the blackout? When he and Miles rescued him from those murdering bastards… The day when everything changed, again…'Jer…I don't know what to say…' he shook his head…'I mean…I…I'm sorry...' he ran a hand through the curls on his head, then heaved a breath…'I'm glad you're not, that they didn't…you know…'

'Yeah...reports of my death were a little exaggerated – I'm happy to say…' Jeremy's grin faded into something a little more serious and the pale blue eyes swept Bass up and down…'and I gotta say you're looking pretty good for a man who's supposed to be dead too…'

Bass nodded slowly…'I've been...very lucky…' he stared into the face of someone he'd once regarded as one of his closest friends and wondered if there was any way back from what he'd – almost – done to him… Still this seemed like a day for miracles and, hell, it was worth a go…'Jer…do you want to come to dinner tonight? Its just family and friends…'

Jeremy lifted an eyebrow…'Thought you'd never ask…'

Bass choked off a laugh; he felt a little light-headed, this was turning into a truly incredible day, first his son, then Jeremy Baker… 'Good… that's good…' he looked at Miles…'Now we've just got to explain all this to Charlie…'

Miles clapped him on the back…'What do you mean 'we'?' he grinned…

…

Charlie took a deep breath… Aaron and Priscilla had so much to tell her, about Willoughby, Bradbury, her mom… but that could wait till they were back at the house… She'd noticed the two men with Bass and Miles; one younger and dark haired; that would have to be Connor, although he'd just left, but she recognised the other man and couldn't understand how he was here – or why? She'd last seen that face in Philadelphia, leading militia soldiers and trying to shoot Miles, and before that on the bridge that Nora blew up to rescue Miles from the same man, back when Bass had still been General Monroe…

She glanced over at Bass and Miles, things seemed to be ok though, at least no one had pulled out any weapons, in fact they all seemed to be getting on really well… she let out a breath… ok then; she turned back to Aaron and Priscilla… 'I need to go check on the kids, Aaron…' then she paused…'I know the young guy was Connor, but who's the other one, talking to Bass?'

Aaron looked over at them… Monroe, or Jimmy as Miles had said to call him, still made him nervous… It was harder in reality than he'd thought to reconcile the man they'd all fought so hard against with the man whose name he and Jeremy had been working so hard at clearing… because, wait for it, he was now living with Charlie, and was the father of her children; and clearly Charlie loved him and accepted him totally... he blew a breath out...no wonder his head was still spinning… 'That's General Baker, Charlie; Miles and Monroe saved his life when they were together, back at the beginning of the whole Militia thing, then he worked for Monroe after Miles left, and now he works for Miles…. and it's Jimmy, remember…?'

She sighed…'oh…Yeah…' then shook her head…'this is getting really confusing…'

He shrugged…'so what's new?'

Charlie smiled brightly…'Ok… why don't we leave the boys to it and you both come with me and meet a couple of our best friends up here – and our two little munchkins'

Priscilla smiled… 'I'd love to, Charlie…' the dark eyes were wistful though, and Charlie remembered suddenly that Priscilla had lost track of her own two daughters. Aaron had written how they'd searched and searched after things had settled down with the Nano and the Patriots but so far there'd been no trace of the girls… She thought about what that might feel like and her heart clenched in sympathy…

….

She led them over to where Jake was just retrieving his Mayoral chain from around Ben's neck and Rosie stood gently bouncing Alice's basket, her face just a little tense… She could see sturdy little arms waving in the air above the sides, the hands in tight fists…

Charlie hurried them along…'Jake, Rosie…' she reached a hand out for Alice, a smile of apology curving her lips…'I'm so sorry, we just left you with the kids…'

'It's not a problem, Charlie…' but Rosie passed the basket over with a little smile of relief…' honestly, we were happy we could help… That man? It was so awful - and you and Jimmy? You were both so brave….' She shook her head… 'Patriot bastard…' … then she smiled up at Aaron and Priscilla…'Hi, I'm Rosie, and that's my husband Jake…'

Jake nodded to them… his lips smiling but his eyes concerned…'that was a bad moment there, Charlie and Jimmy did a great job, hell… you both did…' he shook his head…'It just shows, there're still some of those idiots around…' he settled his chain over his chest again…

'Mom, Mom…I tried on Jake's necklace…' Ben came bouncing up to Charlie, his blue eyes and blond curls dancing… 'And Jake's a Mayor, but he's not a horse…' he stopped and looked up at Aaron, a puzzled look on his face…'are they binoculars…?'

Aaron's eyebrows rose up above the frames of the glasses…'No…they're called glasses… they help me see things a long way away…'

'Do you wear them all the time?'

Aaron nodded, face very solemn but his eyes had a kind twinkle…'All the time…'

Ben's eyes went very wide... 'Oh…'

Charlie grinned…'He loves the binoculars…we have to ration them…' She looked down at her beautiful boy…'Ben?' he tore his gaze away from Aaron's glasses…

'hmm..?'

'This is Aaron and Priscilla, they're our friends'

He gazed up at Aaron then at Priscilla, his blue eyes very curious; then he held a hand out to her…'I'm Ben, I'm three and I can count to ten…we've got two cats, ten piglets, six goats, eight horses and chickens, are you coming to the party…?'

Priscilla took his hand…'Yes, we are, Ben…' she glanced up at Charlie, her eyes sparkling…'he's so much like his father, Charlie…'

Charlie chuckled…'oh yeah…' then she felt the basket wriggling and looked down, uh oh…Alice was definitely working herself up to something… her arms were going faster, legs stiff, kicking at the blankets; the rosy mouth was pouting and the big blue eyes stormy. Charlie reached into a pocket in the side of the basket and pulled out one of the nipple shaped teething biscuits that Hannah had started making…

Alice accepted the offer, sucking on the biscuit and relaxing into her blankets, her eyes back to a calmer, sky blue, for now anyway, she'd need something more than a biscuit soon… Charlie ran her finger over the soft cheek and rounded chin; she was so lovely, her baby girl… then she felt Bass come up behind her and leaned back, knowing his scent, the feel of him; the way the air moved around him; she breathed him in and rubbed her cheek against the hard muscles of his chest…'I missed you…'

Bass put his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head… then he reached around to drop a kiss on the soft rim of her ear… 'Missed you too…' he squeezed, his lips moving down the side of her neck…making her shiver… Then he leaned over a little further…'how is she?'

Charlie chuckled…'getting hungry again…'

Bass laughed…the sound vibrating through her…'we'd better hurry everyone up then…' he lifted his head and his voice rang out…'Miles? Where are you?'

Her uncle, no her father – and wasn't that going to take some getting used to - appeared at her side, a frown of frustration on his face… 'This is like trying to herd cats…' he ran a hand through his hair, leaving bits of it sticking up… 'Bass, you need to come with me right now, you're the hero of the fucking day and they want a photo of you and me… Oh, and you might as well take the hat off, I'm pretty sure everyone knows who you are or they soon will, word's got around and the place is buzzing…' then he looked down…

Alice chose that exact moment to open her eyes wide and stretch her arms up, as though she was reaching for him…

Charlie saw the frown almost disappear and the dark eyes soften…

Miles held out a finger and one of the small hands curled around it, the fingers tiny against his… and he chuckled 'Strong little thing isn't she?'

Alice gazed up into his eyes with the total and absolute focus of a baby who knew what she wanted…

Charlie grinned…'she's got you now, Miles…' and she felt Bass laughing behind her…

He looked up, briefly; then his eyes went back to Alice…'Don't know what you mean…' he chuckled… 'So why'd you call her Alice?'

Bass reached around Charlie and smoothed a finger over his daughters face… 'From Alice in wonderland… Charlie loves the book and Alice kept looking around like…'

'Like she was in wonderland…' Charlie finished his sentence…

Alice reached up and caught Bass' finger with her other hand… she spat out the biscuit and her delighted squeals rang out, her legs kicking wildly under her blankets… hands holding tightly onto the fingers of Bass and Miles…

Charlie looked at the two men she loved most in the world, joined by blood now as well as history… Then her gaze went out towards the swarms of people on the Jetty landing… It was going to be an interesting afternoon…

…

**AN: **Thanks so much for reading… this turned into a bit of a wish fulfilment chapter for me – and a reunion of (most of) my favourite characters… I think there'll be one more chapter, and then Bass and Charlie will have their island back - not quite to themselves this time, but I want them to have some alone time too, and the good thing is that they'll have babysitters handy…

I might take a little diversion to a new story or two next…just for fun, although I'm looking into the shadows too... Hope to see you there cheers, Magpie


	11. Chapter 11

**Throw sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky…**

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. The Monroe Republic has fallen and President Bass Monroe escapes to a small island off the coast of New England. Charlie is searching for him so that she can get revenge for her family. When her small boat crashes and she washes up on Bass's shore… will he look after her? Will she let him? (based on a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe writers page).

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Hi there, and thanks so much for reading – this chapter is a sort of happy ever after wrap up, hope you enjoy… :) Magpie

**Throw ****sadness to the wind, sorrow to the sky… **

**Chapter 11, Throw sadness to the wind…**

The press boat had finally gone, headed back ahead of the weather to Stonington and the hotels and café's waiting for them there and the big white house on the hill seemed happy to be full of people as voices, laughter and good smells wafted around from the front garden through the hall to the large, wood and stone summer house in back where meat was cooking on the barbecue… The kitchen, with its large bay window facing out over the back garden, was warm and cosy with its lamps lit and the smell of fresh bread and mulled, spiced cider wafting from the oven.

Charlie and Rosie were arranging platters of baked potatoes and sweet corn, corn bread, biscuits and sourdough bread made with flour from Hannah's mill, a dumb waiter groaning under the weight of food… Priscilla was sitting in the rocking chair, a fed, happy and gurgling Alice in her arms…

'She's so good, Charlie, and I'd forgotten that lovely baby smell…' Priscilla's eyes were soft as she looked down and she bent down to press a kiss to the soft, blond curls, taking a long breath in as she did…'and I love this little romper suit she's wearing, where on earth did you find new ones?'

Charlie looked up from cutting some bread…'is that what they're called? I found a box full of baby things in one of the houses in Town Landing just before Ben was born… ' She smiled…'they'd never been used, we were so lucky no one else found them…'

Alice gazed up at Priscilla's face, her big blue eyes wide and innocent, then a stream of spit bubbles came from the full pink lips along with a loud raspberry sound… Priscilla laughed and rocked gently, one of her fingers stroking the soft, rounded cheek of the baby's face… 'You are just gorgeous, Alice…and you know it don't you…'

Charlie chuckled… 'She likes having you all to herself…'

'I love her too… have she started on solids yet?' Priscilla was playing with the waving feet, her fingers teasing the little toes and making Alice squeal and arch her back in delight…

Charlie finished slicing some corn bread and piled it on a platter with the rest… 'Not yet, but she's started to watch us when we eat and Bass swears she salivates when we have braised rabbit…' she laughed… 'and Ben sits next to her and tells her what we're having and whether he thinks she'll like it or not…'

Rosie joined in the laughter, piling potatoes in a bowl…'it won't be long now then….' She looked around, the cats were gone from their usual place near the warmth of the range…'so where is Ben? And I could have sworn the cats were just over there when we came in…'

'He took Aaron up into the tower room to show him the telescope...' Charlie started on another platter 'the cats'll be up there too, they follow him everywhere…' she finished piling potatoes, looked around in satisfaction, stroked her hands down over her apron and reached behind to undo the ties.

The apron was one of her favourite finds; white fabric with a frilly lace edging… Bass had nearly chopped a finger off when she wore it the first time in the kitchen – with nothing else underneath… She grinned at the memory… and then, well… they both thought that was when Alice had happened, so… She patted it affectionately, lifted it over her head and hung it on the hook near the sink. She turned to Rosie and Priscilla…'I think we're almost ready to go join the guys, don't you…?'

Rosie jumped…'Oh…I've just got to whip up the cream for the pies then we're all done…'

Charlie reached for her apron again… she was wearing a long sleeved dress she'd been saving for something special, and damned if she was going to get anything on it's velvety crimson folds, not yet anyway…

…

Bass, Miles, Jeremy and Connor were outside with Jake and Sam and gathered round the BBQ, the smells of cooking meat making their mouths water. There was an enjoyable sense of urgency to the preparations as the sky darkened with the coming of evening and the air grew heavy with the promise of rain, although Bass had re-thought his prediction and had announced that the rain was going to hold off till the morning.

The rest of the platoon were either billeted in the newly renovated houses in Town Landing or camped out on the wide lawns and paddocks around the house within easy reach of the fresh water springs that rippled down from the hills above. The sound of tent pegs being hammered in echoed from all around and the scent of wood smoke and food cooking came from cook fires dotted around everywhere.. Bass and Charlie had prepared plenty of rabbits and venison for the visitors so there was plenty to go around. Jake had brought a couple of sides of mutton as well and of course the troops had brought supplies with them too, including coffee, tea and whiskey, barrels of beer…

Apparently the troopers were going to stay - for a while at least… After the incident on the jetty, Miles had told Bass and Charlie that he was going to leave most of them on the island to beef up protection for the area – and his daughter's family; they hadn't argued much, Bass was happy to hand over the reins of his little group of trainees to the regulars and they'd both been looking forward to Town Landing coming alive again…there was still plenty of room for their other settlers.

It felt like a party – or a festival…

…..

Miles, Bass and Jeremy were sitting on some of the dozen or so camp chairs Bass had set up on the paved area under the pergola around the big cooking plate, drinking some of the whiskey that Bass had also found on the island, Connor was over with Jake and Sam – focused on the food, and the local cider…

Miles took a sip, savoured it for a moment and sighed…'this is really good shit, Bass…'

Jeremy took a sip and let out a satisfied sigh…'Yeah…' he lifted his glass to Bass…'trust you to find possibly the last stash of Pappy Van Winkle in the entire country if not the world…'

Bass poured them all another round…'The old guy who owned this place left four crates of it in the basement…' He put the bottle back on the table and sat back down, a smile curving his lips…'there's about three and a half three crates left…'

Jeremy sat forward…'Do you remember a certain card game back in Philly, Bass? Not long before you, well, you know…' his lips twisted in his wry smile, 'you still owe me thirty diamonds, but I reckon a bottle of Pappy's will just about cover it…'

Bass nodded, matching the smile… 'I figure I owe you a whole lot more than one bottle, Jer, but just to start things off I've packed up half a dozen each for you and Miles to take back to Washington…' the smile spread into a grin…'I didn't want to give either one of you more than that though' he glanced at Miles whose own smile spread from ear to ear…'not wanting to be accused of contributing to the bad habits of the President and one of his Generals…' he shrugged…'you can write me when you want more…'

Jeremy looked down for a moment, then back up, so much in that blue gaze…'That's... damn it… Bass, you don't have to do that…'

'Yes I do, and I want to do it... I wasn't myself back then, Jer…' Bass cleared his throat…'I know that's no excuse, but I don't know how else to say it…'

Miles sniffed, although he was still smiling… 'Now before you two go getting all mushy, just remember I'm the President, I can order you to stop…'

Bass chuckled…'Yeah, right…and I don't expect a rider from you inside of six months, Mr President… so don't drink it all in the first week and ask me for more, cause you won't get any…' he looked Miles up and down… 'You're looking a bit soft, brother, and you need to look after your liver…'

Miles was staring at him…'who are you and what did you do with Bass Monroe the alcoholic?'

'I found something worth living for, Miles…' Bass leaned towards him…'why don't you do the same…' then he put his glass down and stood up…'hey..I've just remembered something…' he grinned, turned and started loping over to the house, calling back over his shoulder…. 'Back in a minute'

Jeremy looked after him, his face full of a sort of wonder…'If I hadn't seen it for myself, I'd never have believed it…' he turned back to Miles…'Hell, if I believed in them I'd say it was a miracle….'

'He's happy, Jer…' Miles took another sip, savouring it….'that can make a big difference to your outlook on things…'

Connor wandered over, his eyes a tiny bit hazy… He saluted…'This cider is excellent, Sir… can I get you a glass?'

Miles lifted an eyebrow…'You're officially off duty, Lieutenant, you can drop the 'Sir', stop fucking saluting and call me Miles, or Mr President, or something…' he lifted his glass, the liquid inside glinting a smoky gold…'and this is excellent whiskey, cider is a soft drink'

Connor frowned, looking confused…'what's soft about it?' he looked at his glass…'it's fizzy and it's got bubbles…?'

Miles laughed…'Cider's soft, whiskey's hard, simple…'

Connor still looked confused, but nodded…'ok, if you say so, Sir'

'I do say so, Connor' Miles narrowed his eyes…'now how's the food going, I could nearly eat one of the horses'

'Meat's nearly done, Jake asked me to go check on how things were progressing in the kitchen…'

'Well?'

'Well what, Sir?'

'How are things progressing in the kitchen, you idiot…?' Miles grinned, taking the sting out of the words… 'And drop the 'Sir for crying out loud, it makes me feel like I'm about ninety…'

Connor blinked…'Ok, Mr President, Miles…' he grinned…'I'm going now….' He turned and headed off towards the kitchen at a fast walk…

Miles chuckled… 'He's a good kid, and I'm glad he likes the cider, cause I'm not sharing…'

Jeremy nodded, settling back in his chair...'He's much too young to appreciate a good whiskey anyway…'

…

Connor got to the back door and met Bass coming out, a long, black, leather case in his hand… the two men almost running into each other…

'Whoa…where are you going in such a hurry, Connor?' Bass carefully re-balanced the case….

'Sorry… Mr King… I'm going to see if they need a hand in the kitchen, the President's hungry…' Connor held the door open…

'The girls are still getting things ready and the President can wait a little longer' Bass put the case down, gently, its weight keeping the door open… 'Connor, you know who I am, don't you?'

The younger man nodded, his dark eyes steady, neutral…'you're General Sebastian Monroe, and, possibly, my father…'

Bass took a deep breath…'Yeah… well, that's what your mom told me, and just by the way, I'm not a General, not any more…' He cleared his throat…'and I'm not sure if it's true that I'm your dad, or whether your mom really thought it was true, or said it was true for her own reasons…' he hesitated… 'Listen… Connor… I'd be very proud to call you my son… but I'll leave it to you decide if it's what you want…'

Connor was very still…

Bass looked down at his feet, then back…'You're a grown man, and you've got a responsible and trusted position with someone that I regard as my brother…' He held a hand out… 'What I'm trying to say Connor, is that I consider you family already, no matter what you decide…'

Connor stood quiet for a moment, then took the hand, and shook it… 'Thank you, and I will think about it…' He smiled, and shrugged…'I guess it doesn't really matter though, does it? I mean there's no way to tell for sure…'

Bass sighed and let go…'No, not really… and Connor… about your mom? I just want you to know that you were the last thing she thought of, the last thing she talked about…before, before she went…' He swallowed the lump that had just appeared in his throat…'and one thing I absolutely know for sure is that she loved you very much…' He bent to pick up the case again…

Connor's tongue dipped out over his bottom lip in a move so like Miles that Bass was almost startled into saying something…

Then he stood to attention…'Thanks for telling me, Sir, I know that my Mom died in Jasper, your home town, and I know that you had taken her prisoner to get Miles to surrender to you and that one of Miles men killed her…' He took a breath…'I'm a soldier… I've been a soldier for years now and I know that bad things happen sometimes, things that you wish hadn't…' he looked Bass in the eye…'But we need to look to the future now, make the world better, so that those things don't happen, as much anyway…'

Bass nodded, a slow smile curving his mouth…'That's a good way of looking at things, Connor…' he tipped his head towards the kitchen…'Now you'd better go help out with the food, Jake doesn't like his steaks overcooked…'

Connor grinned, 'yes sir'

Bass shook his head…'you're really gonna have to lose all the 'sir' crap, Connor, it makes me feel like…'

Connor smirked…'like an old man…? Sir…?'

Bass narrowed his eyes although his lips were twitching, and tipped his head towards the kitchen again… 'Go on, kid, get outta here, and the name's Bass…' and he chuckled as Connor grinned back at him then went on his way… That had gone a whole lot better than he probably deserved, but hell, he was grateful and sort of impressed, Connor was turning out to be quite interesting, …

He headed out the back again, checking the sky as he went… looked like the rain had changed its mind for sure, the sky was almost clear….

Miles was just pouring another round for Jeremy and himself when Bass came back…'Hey, what kept you?' his voice tailed off when he saw what Bass was carrying…

Bass sat back down and laid the case carefully down on the ground in front of Miles…'I was talking to Connor… He's a good kid, Miles, cheeky though… ' He chuckled and unclipped the case…'I found this in a house on the other side of the Island…thought you might like it…'

Miles put his glass down, then reached out and opened the case… Then he sat there for a long moment, just looking…'I don't know what to say, Bass' he choked off a laugh…'do you know what this is?'

'It's a guitar, do you like it?'

'Do I like it?' Miles bent down and picked the instrument up, handling it gently, reverently…' Bass, this is a Martin D-28 marquis, with a solid Adirondack spruce top, east Indian rosewood sides, mahogany neck and an ebony fretboard…' he settled the guitar across his lap, his fingers trailing over the strings; the sound sweet even though it was out of tune… 'I always wanted one of these…'

Bass smiled…'I put some new strings on for you, and there's picks and more spare strings in the case, more inside too, the guy had a whole studio set up, drums kit, recording gear, you name it…' he sat back…'I figured you'd want to check it out yourself, might be other stuff you want…'

Miles started adjusting the tuning, his fingers graceful and precise, the strings sliding quickly to true…'I haven't played for years, Bass…'

Jeremy leaned forward…'you had a guitar back at the first camp we set up, remember Miles?' you and some other guys got a band together? And Tom Neville kept trying out to be the singer, but he had this thing about doing Lionel Ritchie…'

Miles chuckled…'He was so pissed when we said thanks but no thanks…'

Bass frowned a little at the name…'what happened to Neville after the Tower?'

Miles was quiet for a moment... 'He was in Bradbury when the Nano shit really hit the fan, Bass. Jack Davis had somehow gotten hold of Julia after the bombs and kept her hostage so Tom and Jason were working for them, looking for you amongst others, I think... The Nano got to Tom after Texas executed Jason for assassinating General Carver...' he strummed a chord… eerie and sad, dissonant… 'He died there along with a lot of the others…'

'You saw him? Dead I mean'

Miles nodded…'yeah, none of the people the Nano took over for any length of time woke up once Rachel, you know, did her thing…' he played a tune fragment…

Bass recognised the intro to the Stones' 'Paint it black…' He sat up a little…'I'm sorry, Miles, about Rachel? She and I had our differences I know, but I'm sorry…'

Miles played on, the tune changing to a twelve bar blues…'Its ok, Bass, I've come to terms with things now I guess, so many people lost so much… maybe it is time to start over….' he caught Bass' eyes with his…'And finding Charlie alive? That was something I'd pretty much given up hoping for, and to find her with you, well…' he shook his head…'I suppose I should have known though, that girl could always find anything or anyone she set her mind to…'

Jeremy drained his glass, setting it down on the table, 'speaking of Charlie…' he stood up… 'Looks like it's dinner time, guys…'

…

Charlie sent Connor off with the trolley, Rosie just behind him with more platters… Priscilla had offered to keep looking after Alice, and as her baby girl seemed quite happy with the arrangement, Charlie relaxed and went in search of Ben and Aaron…

'Ben? Aaron?' she was at the bottom of the spiral stairs, leading up to the lookout room…'dinner time'

A small face peered down at her over the railings from the room above…'coming mommy…'

Aaron appeared behind him…'let me go first Ben, in case I slip or something…' he looked down, 'it looks a hell of a lot steeper from up here, Charlie…'

She chuckled… 'Come down backwards, Aaron, it helps, believe me…' She watched as her friend and almost second (third?) father made his way carefully backwards down the stairs. He might seem cautious and timid sometimes but Charlie knew him to be one of the bravest people she'd ever known; ever, bar none... He kept on going, even when he was scared, even when things looked really bad… and he always came through for his friends, his family...

She was really hoping that he and Priscilla might decide to come and stay on the Island… and that maybe, when Miles had finished being President that he would come too… She and Bass had found a house on the other side of the Island that would be just perfect for him…

Ben waited politely for a puffing Aaron to get to the bottom, then came rushing down the last couple of steps and into her arms…

She picked him up, giving him a huge hug and he hugged her back, his small, strong body all muscle and action. She breathed him in, he smelled of life and energy and – fish? 'Have you been letting Aycee and Deecee groom your hair again, Ben?' she pulled back so she could look into the bright blue, laughing eyes…

He giggled…'They love me…'

She swung him onto her hip… 'Yes, I know they do… So what did you two see out there?' she turned to Aaron, steering them all towards the back door...

Aaron was still puffing a little…'well, there was an awful lot of water…'

'And Islands, Aaron, and boats, and birds – and a man fell in the water…'

Charlie caught Aaron's eye, he discreetly held a hand up, fingers like a gun…

She understood, oh…'did he now?'

Aaron looked at her over Ben's head, his eyes telling her a lot more…'Yes, he did, we thought he wanted to go swimming, didn't we, Ben…'

Ben nodded…'swimming…'

Charlie put Ben down… taking his hand, smiling into the blue eyes looking up at her…'that's nice… but hey Ben, guess what? It's dinner time, lets go find your daddy and grand daddy…'

'Daddy and Grand daddy, Mommy' he pulled her along, out the door, Aaron following behind them…

…

That night seemed magical to Charlie…

Her family and friends sat around the garden by the light of the fire, the moon and a multitude of stars…

They ate and drank, talked and told stories of things that had happened… mostly the lighter stuff though, no one seemed to want to spoil the mood by talking too much about the sad things…

Miles played his guitar most of the night, he and Jake hitting it off straight away, knowing almost all the same songs, and once Jake brought out his case of harmonicas, they just kept going through the night… Connor joining in on songs that he knew – his rich tenor voice, with a slight Mexican accent, surprising everyone, even Miles…

Ben was totally fascinated by the music and sat at Miles feet for most of the evening, just watching him play… and although Miles had made his feelings about being referred to as 'grand daddy' very clear, telling Ben to call him by his name; he seemed to enjoy the adoration, telling Ben the names of each song, and who sang it, showing him finger picking patterns, chord shapes…

Jeremy and Bass sat talking about horses, women, whiskey, fishing and boats and the life of a lighthouse keeper…

Charlie, Aaron, Priscilla and Rosie sat together, Priscilla still holding Alice, conversation moving from babies to books to plans for a school on the island, the library and new University in Boston…

Charlie glanced at Priscilla; she was relaxed and smiling, leaning against Aaron, every now and then gently rocking Alice, the baby asleep in her arms… Alice was due for a feed soon, but for now Priscilla seemed to be enjoying holding her so much... Charlie smiled... there was no way to replace her girls, but Alice did seem to be doing her good...

Then she looked across at Bass, catching him looking at her – it happened so often now that she wasn't surprised; she smiled at him and his eyes lit up like they always did when their eyes met… They'd have time for themselves a bit later though, and for always after that, now was for family, and friends…new and old.

She toasted him with her fruit juice, and he blew her a kiss… and that was a kind of magic too, because she felt it land…

…

AN: …Sigh… I loved giving them their peaceful time together after everything, I hope you enjoyed it too… cheers, Magpie


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